# A little assistance



## anthonyd (Apr 10, 2014)

Instead of us constantly taking over the thread of another person, I wanted to ask a few quick questions. In a previous thread, someone mentioned looking for Tulip Poplars. Being that i'm not really from here, and I'm not getting a good answer from Google. How does one identify a Tulip poplar, when there are no flowers, or leaves (green). 
I have been out looking every evening since Monday, but have found nothing. I've found a few areas around the home. The first one is fairly similar to the last one i went to. It seems to be a flood plain in the woods. Last night, I found obvious signs that it had flooded over. All of the leaves were covered in mud residue. It was the same behind my house (public land area). My concern is that it may have been too wet? or jsut really poluted. The other area was a flood plain, and I found several areas of just hardwoods, bamboo thickets, and moist wet soil. The issue there was that the soil went from "dirt" to sand the closer to the creek I got. Was that a bad thing? Should I have kept going towards the creek? Is sand a good substrate for morels? I did see a lot of "Urnulas" popping up. Which, by the comments on another FB page, seems to be a sign before morels appear. Should I keep looking around there? 

The second place i looked had a few open fields, pine areas, and several Hardwood only areas. They NCWRC had recently done a controlled burn around there though, so I didn't look all that hard through those areas. I hear that should be good in the next couple years though. Burning sounds good for future use. 

Any assistance in this would be awesome. I'm just really enjoying the long walks after work, but I would like to have something to show for it. 

I'm also looking at heading down to Uwharrie for some great hiking in the next two weeks. I'd like to go this weekend, but we are really busy with wedding planning.

Thank you all. Best of luck to everyone.


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## anthonyd (Apr 10, 2014)

Ok... that wasn't so "quick"... sorry.


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## wpinksta (Apr 10, 2014)

Anthony,

The bark on a Tulip Popular will have a checkered diamond pattern on the mature trees, you will not be able to tell unless it is 10 inches or so around. I looked last weekend and found none going out now will post later. On the open fields I have never found them in the open in Raleigh, it is much different than up north and they are smaller too.

Bill


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## onceuponamorel (Apr 10, 2014)

Evidently it is still too early except for Eastern NC . I went for 4 hrs this morn, searching hard. I found one mushroom period and not a morel. We have a creek that runs thru our farm and very near that creek is where we have found them in previous years. The forest floor underneath compacted leaves is still very moist. There is still very little vegetation . Ferns are just now uncurling and may apples just coming up and can barely see poison oak. From my research and looking at pics where they have been found, I would say wet is good. Perfect soil is a sandy loam . If you can pick the dirt up and squeeze it and it keeps its shape and then you can crumble it as well..that is suppose to be ideal soil. .I was searching around hardwoods which are mixed heavily with pines here..I wasn't exactly sure about tulip poplars so I looked it up. It was described as vertical lines very close together and the new limbs are smooth. I was then able to identify the tulip poplar..Since our perfect weather is dwindling I am going to wait a few days before going again..if they come up they will be too small to harvest and the turkeys have been having a blast eating everything in sight. I ran them off as I approached the area so ...still hoping there will be something left when they get done with it.


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## randy l (Apr 6, 2014)

Dude, it's just a yellow poplar. Don't over think it.


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## randy l (Apr 6, 2014)

Or do...


Liriodendron tulipifera
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Poplar.
Liriodendron tulipifera
Liriodendron tulipifera
cultivated at Laken Park in Belgium
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Magnoliids
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Magnoliaceae
Genus: Liriodendron
Species: L. tulipifera
Binomial name
Liriodendron tulipifera
L.
Range
Synonyms[1][2]

Liriodendron fastigiatum Dippel
Liriodendron procera Salisb.
Liriodendron truncatifolium Stokes
Tulipifera liriodendron Mill.

Liriodendron tulipifera — known as the tulip tree, American tulip tree, tuliptree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddle-tree, and yellow poplar — is the Western Hemisphere representative of the two-species genus Liriodendron, and the tallest eastern hardwood. It is native to eastern North America from Southern Ontario and Illinois eastward across southern New England and south to central Florida and Louisiana. It can grow to more than 50 m (165 feet) in virgin cove forests of the Appalachian Mountains, often with no limbs until it reaches 25–30 m (80–100 feet) in height, making it a very valuable timber tree. It is fast-growing, without the common problems of weak wood strength and short lifespan often seen in fast-growing species. April marks the start of the flowering period in the southern USA (except as noted below); trees at the northern limit of cultivation begin to flower in June. The flowers are pale green or yellow (rarely white), with an orange band on the tepals; they yield large quantities of nectar. The tulip tree is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.


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## just1more (Apr 13, 2013)

I went out this afternoon scouting to see if anything was up yet just north of Charlotte. I found about a dozen yellows and every one of them were already dried up! Very disappointing. I did find one that was ok. Will be hitting my normal spots early in the morning!

AnthonyD, I have found lots of mushrooms in the sandy soil along creek beds.


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## jonesey (Apr 4, 2014)

Thank you Randy! Thank you so much! Seriously. 

 

Look up, look at the leaves. The leaves are well sprouted now on TP'S. They waggle in the wind in a unique way.


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## jonesey (Apr 4, 2014)

Look for their cones. In late March the leaves haven't sprouted yet but you can see many of last years cones on the ends of branches in the tree tops. But you'll also see them on the ground around TP's so if you're looking down and you find these it's always a good sign.


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## onceuponamorel (Apr 10, 2014)

What do yall think? We had 2-3 days of temps in the 80's after a really good rain . Nights were in the 40's. It has been too early..Now we are getting another good rain and nights headed for the 30's for a few nights and 60ish daytime temps...When would you go..Like I say ..not any evidence of any so far.


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## just1more (Apr 13, 2013)

Maybe Friday, however i sure wish the temps were a little higher this week. This year will turn into a train wreck if not. Eventually the woods will have too much ground cover and will make it harder to find them.


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## onceuponamorel (Apr 10, 2014)

Just1more..Thanks..I am inclined to agree


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## anthonyd (Apr 10, 2014)

I'm definitely narrowing down the search areas... My fiance and I got out to enjoy a nice long 4 mile hike around our boarder's farm in CH this weekend. I found several nice sloping hills with some very mature Tulip Poplars... No mushrooms, unless you count the Devil's Urns that were plentiful.. Maybe I'm just not looking correctly... I found the trees, I searched the areas around them for about 4-5 minutes each tree. No dice!!! I think she (fiance) is convinced i'm looking for something that doesn't exist. I'm about to email some friends back home (MN) and have them shipped here. Argh!!!


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## shroominator (Mar 12, 2013)

Found 6 more yesterday in Hickory. They were fresh. Going again this evening after another day of sun. They should really start popping the rest of the week.


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