Description - conical or oval form. Crown is dense and becomes broader and more open with age. Trunk is long and straight with a deep, wide spreading root system. In the 1800s, a heart medication was extracted from the inner bark of the root.

 

Leaf -  simple 4 lobed, somewhat tulip shaped, bright green on long stalks, and alternate on the branch.

 

Bark - young trees have distinct yellow-orange fissures with long, grey interlacing ridges and shallow furrows.  Mature tress have brownish bark, thick, deeply furrowed, and are greyish between ridges.

 

Bud - 2 dark scales (like praying hands) cover bud with narrow point at the base. The bud at the end of the twig is flattened.

 

Twig - brown and stout.

 

Flower - produced on mature trees are 3 green outer sepals and 6 yellow petals form a cup shaped, tulip (cup) shaped flower which is solitary and upright at the end of a leafy twig. Flowers are both male and female (perfect).

 

Fruit - a long, light brown, cone-like fruit which contain several winged nutlets.

 

Habitat - moist well drained loam or sandy soils, especially in valleys and on slopes.

 

Wood - used for veneers, furniture, cabinets, musical instruments, carving, pulpwood. Single logs were hollowed out to make early, light-weight canoes.