from Chris

When the tulip poplars drop their blossoms in early May, it’s like a little taste of autumn in the freshest time of the year. Little dashes of orange, yellow, and honeydew-green sprinkle the trails.

Tulip poplars, common in Virginia, are the tallest hardwoods in North America, reaching as high as 150 feet. Their leaves look like webbed, six-fingered palms, symmetrical in design. Their blossoms look like little tulips—which is where the trees get their name from—although by the …