I found this massive leaf, when walking around the farm where we live!! It’s huge!!! A knowledgeable friend told me that it’s blown off of a tulip tree. I researched about them and found out that it’s sometimes called canoe wood as the native americans used to make canoes out of their light, buoyant trunks.
It was also the native americans that first discovered it’s medicinal purposes too. It’s roots can be good mixed with whiskey and taken as a cough tonic. The leaves can be made into a poultice and applied to burns, wounds and inflammation, some people used it to treat arthritis!!!!
It’s Latin name is, liridendron tulipifera , meaning ‘ lily tree bearing tulips’.