Paulownia produces beautiful purple flowers resembling foxgloves on mature growth, but don't be fooled by this tree.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is LaPorte City Forester Keith O’Herrin’s final column for WNLP. Keith has accepted a new job and will be moving from LaPorte. WNLP would like to thank Keith for contributing his expertise and time to us for more than a year. His columns will remain on the site under the “Living Green” and “Headliners” categories.
Paulownia (Paulownia tomentosa), or Princess Tree, is an extremely fast-growing ornamental tree native to China. It was introduced to the United States around 1840 as an ornamental and quickly escaped into the wild. It is still sold through garden catalogs and at many nurseries.
Paulownia produces beautiful flowers each spring and innumerable, tiny seeds each fall. If the tree is cut down, it will quickly sprout vigorous suckers from the stump, making it difficult to eliminate. Young Paulownias are easily recognized by their enormous leaves, which may be up to 2 feet across, though the leaves decrease in size as the tree matures.
Leaves on young Paulownia trees can grow to 2 feet across.
In its native China, Paulownia is used to reclaim areas that have been eroded or physically degraded as it adapts easily to nutrient deficient soils and actually improves the soil in which it grows. However, it is usually short-lived as it cannot grow in the shade of the other trees that quickly come in behind it, benefiting from the soil improved by the Paulownia. Paulownia is therefore known as a pioneer species, one of the first to colonize previously uninhabited land.
However, as a pioneer species in North America, Paulownia is a serious threat to many endangered or rare plants that grow only in niche ecological communities such as stream banks and steep rocky slopes. Paulownia thrives in these areas and quickly displaces the native vegetation. This negative effect makes Paulownia an invasive species by definition. It should be removed wherever found by cutting it down and treating the stump with a strong herbicide.
(Click on any photo to enlarge)
Paulownia suckers can grow up to 15 feet per year, making it a vicious competitor. Destroy this tree when found.
David W Morris — March 29, 2010 @ 7:54 am
What you are commenting on tomentosa is correct but it is not the ONLY species of paulownia. Both elongata and fortunei have many positive benefits for the environment. You might read www,paulownianow.org for more information on paulownia.
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Fran — March 29, 2010 @ 9:15 am
It is sad that Keith is leaving La Porte. He understood the value of street trees, and I felt that he was doing a great job of educating La Porteans about the need to save our existing trees and to plant new ones. I hope that La Porte will realize the importance replacing him and will hire another forester who will speak for the trees as well as Keith has done.
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Mickey — March 30, 2010 @ 11:03 am
I’m also disappointed to hear Keith is leaving and this is his last column. I have found his to be one of the more interesting and useful columns on this site, and hope that his successor will be willing to take up the work Keith has begun so well. Good luck to Keith on his new endeavor.
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