TreeRM

Princess tree

Paulownia tomentosa 路 Paulowniaceae 路 also Empress tree, Royal paulownia, Foxglove tree

An extremely fast tree with huge velvety heart-shaped leaves, showy upright clusters of fragrant violet foxglove-like flowers before the leaves in spring, and woody capsules that release thousands of tiny winged seeds. It is sold as a shade or 'miracle' timber tree and can grow 15 ft in a year, but the wood is weak, flower buds freeze, it is messy, and it colonizes roadcuts, stream banks and burned ground across the eastern US. Wisconsin prohibits it, Connecticut bans its sale, and Pennsylvania and Virginia list it as invasive.

Broadleaf, drops leavesFast growingSun or part shadeModerate water
Princess tree
Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Where it stands

Native

  • 馃嚚馃嚦 China 路 Native to central and eastern China.source

Invasive

  • 馃嚭馃嚫 United States 路 Naturalized in at least 25 eastern states; listed invasive in North Carolina and by the USDA National Invasive Species Information Center.source
  • 馃嚭馃嚫 PA, United States 路 On Pennsylvania DCNR's invasive plant fact sheet list.source
  • 馃嚭馃嚫 VA, United States 路 Virginia DCR Invasive Plant Species List, Medium invasiveness rank.source

Prohibited

  • 馃嚭馃嚫 CT, United States 路 Potentially Invasive on the Connecticut Invasive Plant List; sale and movement prohibited by statute.source
  • 馃嚭馃嚫 WI, United States 路 Prohibited under Wisconsin NR 40: possession, transport and introduction banned and control required.source

Care

Not recommended for planting. Removal: cutting alone fails because it sends up root sprouts many feet from the stump; cut and treat stumps or girdle and treat. Remove seedlings before they set seed capsules.

Benefits

FlowersFast canopyPollinators

Good for

Timber

Watch out for

Invasive elsewhereWeak woodHeavy litter