Coaster - Sandstone - Tulip Poplar Tulip

Surprisingly enough, the name "Tulip Poplar" is exceedingly misleading. The flowers of the tree are not tulips, per se, and the tree is not a poplar but, rather, a member of the magnolia family. This may explain why the lovely bloom is so delightfully fragrant. The broad leaves also have a faintly tulip-esque silhouette. This tree, also known as a "yellow poplar", "blue poplar", "tuliptree" or "yellow wood" is the state tree of Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky. Though the blooms are generally quite high in the tree, it so happens that the "tulip poplar" from which this photograph was taken is located near my son's home and has a couple of unusually low-hanging branches that bloomed this year, possibly because of all the rain. The flower is a fruity blend of honeydew green, melding to cantaloupe orange, leading right down to a creamy yellow center. This beautiful, sandstone coaster is a functional and decorative addition to your home decor.