Thanks for the ID. I don't recall ever seeing this tree in bloom although I visit this park and this area frequently. From the photos I just looked up I don't know how I could have missed it, they are quite unique and colorful. I must have somehow missed the blooming every time I visited but now that I know what to look for I hope to get some photos this spring.

The flowers are actually easy to miss unless you know to look. They are yellowy green and easily overlooked high up amongst the foliage. The orange colour is variable and mostly on the inside of the bloom.

As floral says, the flowers are often higher up, and also point up. Occasionally in my treks I come across an open-growing young tuliptree that has flowers down low enough to examine. My 18 yr old tuliptree in z6 usually blooms in, say, early-mid June.

floral and bengz, thanks for the tips. This tree is not very tall and some of the seed capsules were low to the ground so maybe I can get a flower photo if I'm lucky - fingers crossed.

The flowers can fall off the tree (wind, squirrels) and look like this.

We have several near our backyard. Butterflies & squirrels love them, just be careful walking any dogs where those seed pods have fallen- the spikes can be extremely sharp & have caused 1-2 puncture wounds each season.

I've not had any problems with the spikes injuring any of our dogs (past and present), but they sure can mess up Hosta leaves when they fall (for whatever reason). We got rid of most of our poplar trees due to their size, but kept 3 or 4 in the very back of our lot. They did less damage than the marauding deer the last two years though. GRRR!

Four less poplars, two maples, two beeches, and a big sour wood.

This may also explain why I have never noticed the "spikes" before - they fell off before I could spot them.