Paulownia tomentosa
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Paulownia tomentosa, common names princess tree,<ref>Template:PLANTS</ref> empress tree, or foxglove-tree,<ref name=BSBI07>Template:BSBI 2007</ref> is a deciduous hardwood tree in the family Paulowniaceae, native to central and eastern China and the Korean Peninsula.<ref name=FoC/><ref name="EPPO-alert" /> It is an extremely fast-growing tree with seeds that disperse readily<ref name="tsusinvasives.org"/> and is considered an invasive exotic species in North America<ref name=USDA/> that has undergone naturalisation in large areas of the Eastern US,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> even though it might be able to successfully get established through seeds only under ideal conditions.<ref name="worldtree"/> P. tomentosa has also been introduced to Western and Central Europe, and is establishing itself as a naturalised species there as well.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Etymology
The generic name Paulownia honours Anna Pavlovna of Russia, who was Queen Consort of the Netherlands from 1840 to 1849.<ref name=AZPLA>Template:Cite book</ref> The specific epithet tomentosa is a Latin word meaning 'covered in hairs'.<ref name=RHSLG>Template:Cite book</ref>
Description
This tree grows Template:Convert tall, with large heart-shaped to five-lobed leaves Template:Convert across, arranged in opposite pairs on the stem. On young growth, the leaves may be in whorls of three and be much bigger than the leaves on more mature growth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The leaves on stump shoots can achieve remarkable size; leaves Template:Convert wide and almost as long have been reported.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>The leaves can be mistaken for those of the catalpa.
The very fragrant flowers, large and violet-blue in colour<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> are produced before the leaves in early spring, on panicles Template:Convert long, with a tubular purple corolla Template:Convert long resembling a foxglove flower. The fruit is a dry egg-shaped capsule Template:Convert long, containing numerous tiny seeds. The seeds are winged and disperse by wind and water. Pollarded trees do not produce flowers, as these form only on mature wood.
Paulownia tomentosa requires full sun for proper growth.<ref name=Tennessee>Template:Citation</ref><ref name=Silvics>Template:Cite book</ref> It is tolerant of pollution and can tolerate many soil typesTemplate:SpecifyTemplate:Disputed inline. It can also grow from small cracks in pavements and walls.Template:Original research inline Paulownia can survive wildfires because the roots can regenerate new, very fast-growing stems.Template:FactTemplate:Disputed inline
P. tomentosa is drought-resistant and thrives in barren soil, particularly suitable for cold and arid regions. Its main trunk is short, and its growth rate is relatively slow after it reaches maturity.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Range
Native range
P. tomentosa is native to much of central and eastern China<ref name=FoC/><ref name="EPPO-alert" /> and to the Korean peninsula;<ref name="EPPO-alert" /> the Flora of China considers the latter as non-native.<ref name=FoC/> In China, it occurs in the following provinces: Anhui, Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan.<ref name=FoC/><ref name="EPPO-alert">Template:Cite web</ref>
Introduced range
Europe
In August 2021 the EPPO added P. tomentosa to its Alert List, not due to any particular known problem within Europe, but as a step to begin assessing whether it should be regarded as a problematic invader.<ref name="EPPO-alert" />
- Austria, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, France (including Corsica), Germany, Hungary, Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily), Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Africa
North America
United States
- Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,Template:Citation needed Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia
Oceania
Asian introduced range
Uses
Paulownia tomentosa is cultivated as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Because of its tolerance and flexibility, Paulownia functions ecologically as a pioneer plant. Its nitrogen-rich leaves provide good fodder and its roots prevent soil erosion. Eventually, Paulownia is succeeded by taller trees that shade it and in whose shade it cannot thrive.<ref name=Tennessee /><ref name=Silvics />
The characteristic large size of the young growth is exploited by gardeners: by pollarding the tree and ensuring there is vigorous new growth every year, massive leaves are produced (up to Template:Convert across). These are popular in the modern style of gardening which uses large-foliaged and "architectural" plants.
The soft, lightweight seeds were commonly used as a packing material by Chinese porcelain exporters in the 19th century, before the development of polystyrene packaging. Packing cases would often leak or burst open in transit and scatter the seeds along rail tracks. The magnitude of the numbers of seeds used for packaging, together with seeds deliberately planted for ornament, has allowed the species to be viewed as an invasive species in areas where the climate is suitable for its growth, notably Japan and the eastern United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Japan, it is customary to plant seeds of the tree when a couple has a daughter; it is said that by the time the daughter is in her older teens or at the peak of adulthood when she is ready to marry, the tree by this time has also grown to maturity, which is then felled and made into a tansu dresser as a wedding gift.Template:Citation needed The timber is used in making instruments, as well.Template:CnTemplate:Clarification needed
P. tomentosa has been suggested as a plant to use in carbon capture projects. P. tomentosa has large leaves that readily absorb pollutants, and also has value in timber and aesthetics, adding to interest surrounding its use in carbon capture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Unreliable source<ref>Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Green Energy Conversion. Page 382"And among the solutions often mentioned , there is reforestation , the idea is to plant green curtains around the plant ( trees that store carbon ) to offset our CO2 emissions . We note for example : Paulownia Tomentosa , Bamboo , Iroko ...".</ref><ref>Climate Crisis Changed: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Page 4 "...And the fast-growing Empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa) not only grows ten to twenty feet tall in its first year , but a single hectare of these trees can sequester up to 103 tons of CO - yr - 1 due to photosynthesis"</ref>
Inaccurate citation practices have led to circulating claims that P. tomentosa performs C4 carbon fixation. However, this species does not fulfill the experimental criteria necessary to demonstrate C4 photosynthesis.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Composition
Some geranyl flavonoids can be found in P. tomentosa.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Verbascoside can also be produced in hairy roots cultures of P. tomentosa.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Pictures
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Spent fruit
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New growth on second-year sapling
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Flower buds
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Timber
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Image showing a Large Mature Foxglove Tree in flower on May 4th 2025 in Bute Park, Wales, UK. Human for scale.
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