Tulip Poplar Seed Identification

Q: I get a gazillion of these spinning seeds each year and wonder what tree they are from.

A: I believe they are tulip poplar seed. Spinning seeds are called samaras.

Many trees produce single-wing samaras. Maples form two-winged, two-bladed samaras on the tree but the two halves split apart before falling.

The spinning motion of samaras serves to disperse seeds away from the parent plant.

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