Yellow Poplar

This is the flower of the yellow poplar tree, otherwise known as the tulip tree. It's Latin name is Liriodendron tulipifera and has a sister plant in East Asia called liriodendron chinense.

This tree must be a smaller version than the Smoky Mountains kind, because in the Smokies it only blooms when the tree is 60ft or more high and you can't see the blossoms until they fall.

This is only the 2nd year this tree has bloomed. Last year, we barely noticed it because there were only about 7 or 8 blooms. This year, it's loaded.

Yay.