Actually Tulip trees have perfect flowers, meaning they can self pollinate having both male and female parts in the same flower. For Tulip Trees, heavy seed crops tend to compensate for low seed viability (around 5-20 percent). The samaras are wind dispersed to distances 4 and 5 times the height of the parent tree. Seeds require a cold stratification period, and germination rates vary with time and temperature. Under controlled conditions, stratification in moist sand within a temperature range of 32° to 50° F for periods of 70 to 90 days resulted in satisfactory germination. However, seedling yield increases with increasing time of stratification. Generally as temperature decreases and time increases the germination rate increases; for example, 90 percent germination occurred after 140 days at 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Germination is epigeal and occurs when seeds remain constantly moist for several weeks. Seed Germination and seedling development is enhanced on mineral soil or on well-decomposed humus than on a thick, undecomposed litter layer. Germinating yellow-poplar seedlings need a suitable seedbed and adequate moisture to survive and become established. After germination, several critical years follow. During this period sufficient soil moisture must be available, good drainage and protection against drying and frost heaving are necessary, and there must be no severe competition from nearby sprout growth. In a study in which various mulches were used to induce soil temperature variation, seedlings grew faster in warm soil than in cool soil. Soil temperatures as high as 97° F had a beneficial effect on seedling growth.

I forgot exactly how fast it was growing earlier, it actually grows a half a inch a day but now it is in a "drought dormancy" because I have not watered in a while so it is currently not growing, and it has also lost some bottom leaves and has formed a temporary bud to conserve water because of the drought. If I water it some more it should come out of it. You can see we have the worst drought in the U.S. here in the southeast which we have had since spring And I over estimated its height, it is actually just over 4 feet tall. We have about 30 more days of growing season left before trees will start to go dormant for winter. So if I keep it watered it should reach over 5 feet by autumn. Eastern cottonwood trees have been known to grow 1.5 inches a day and maybe even 2 inches a day in superb conditions during the heat of the summer. They have been know to grow 16 feet in one year or one growing season. It has no branches yet but it should by next year. This cottonwood is a female and that's why I planted it in the woods where it will be great to view the yearly "snow" :) I'm planning on getting some cuttings of a old huge male cottonwood tree this spring to plant next to our yard in a tilled and mulched area 10 feet wide. It's going to be planted 40 feet out to give room for the huge burst of growth :-D so we can have a quick shade tree in 5 to 10 years in our barren yard plus many other tree types I'm going to plant in the yard from oaks to maples. How it currently looks today: Some of the leaves were huge, a couple of them were 12 inches long. Temporary bud it has formed because of the drought:

I'm not sure what it's like in Calgary, but poplar trees here are prodigious seed producers - so much so that the "cottonwoods" live up to their name and produce so much seed laden "cotton" that it looks like it has snowed when they are in full production. (See picture below.) Poplar seedlings are pretty easy to find here, there, and everywhere. I'd suggest looking for poplar seedlings and try your cutting experiment with maybe another tree or shrub. The seed-grown plants will be strong and hardy. FataMorgana

My Mom's front yard has a center walk to the front door. The previous owners planted 2 red oaks and 2 Arizona Ash, a local trash tree, one of each on each side. The ash were toward the street. When they bought the house, they removed the ash trees. Within two years, the oaks had filled in where the ash had been and were round like they should be. It gets so hot here that shade is very important to livability. I thought it was a great solution to adding shade quickly and then also planning for the future. bk