The Massachsetts Medical Society Grounds

The 9/11 Memorial Tree
To commemorate the anniversary of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, a tree was planted outside of the South entrance of the building. This tree, the Liriodendron tulipifera or tulip poplar, was chosen to represent the strength and resilience of the American people from the past to the present.

A flowering and fruit-bearing deciduous Native American tree, the tulip poplar was a favorite of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison and Cornelius Vanderbuilt. The tulip poplars that George Washington planted are still alive and growing at Mt. Vernon today. Pioneers used wood from the trees to construct houses, barns and other necessary farm buildings, and Native Americans used it to make canoes.

One of the oldest species of tree, the tulip poplar goes back to around 50 million years, making it truly prehistoric. It is not a true poplar, but a relative of the magnolia At maturity, it is 70 to 90 feet tall with a leaf canopy 35 to 50 feet in diameter. The leaves have a distinctive shape, bearing a slight resemblance to maple leaves, and turn yellow in the fall. The tree flowers in May or June and the tulip-shaped blossoms range in color from a greenish-yellow to a deep orange. The flowers are borne so high in the tree canopy that they are best seen from a second story window. The fruit resembles a pinecone and appears at the end of the growing season. Its seeds are popular food for squirrels and songbirds.