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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Wendy wrote:
> Bev, is this the same type of tree you are going to plant?
>
> http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/trees/msg0513042729678.html
>
> Wendy

Yes and no.
There are a couple of varieties of Paulownia and people get them
confused.  They all seem to have large leaves, nice flowers, and fast
growth, but there are differences.  Here's what I know, and I'm posting
some links (I know you hate that, James) in case anyone else is
interested in doing what I am doing and wants to study up.


Paulownia elongata, is what I am getting.  Left alone, they grow to 100
ft tall.  They are THE timber tree in China, the way we grow pines and
alder.  Note that the leaf shape is not round like the tormentosa.
Also, P. elongata flowers are more white with touches of lavender or
pink instead of the purple-blue of other species..
http://www.worldpaulownia.com/

http://www.paulowniatrees.com/
The guy at the above site also tissue cultures-he has a subvariety
called P. elongata Americana 357.  The picture on his page is what my
pasture should look like this time next year.  He claims the Americana
is non-invasive, and perhaps he is right because when I hear about
invasive Paulownias, people are usually referring to P. tormentosa, not
P. elongata.


Paulownia tormentosa is commonly referred to as Empress Tree or Princess
Tree or simply Royal Paulownia.

Where I live, the P. tormentosa is the 'problem' tree.  They grow on the
roadsides and in the ditches, 40-60 ft tall,,,,,the utility workers cut
them down, but the trees come right back.  Creates a major headache for
the power crews.  They are quite showy and ornamental though-smell good
and make great honey, which is why people buy them. They do have those
2" pods with billions of seed that Jeanne was talking about.
Tormentosa's flowers are lavender-purple-blue.  They were allegedly
introduced from China back in the 1850's and have naturalized in the
Eastern US(33 states).
This has a lot of P. tormentosa information:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/forestry/446-606/446-606.html

Paulownia fossils have been found in Washington state, so I don't know
about it's native status...seems to me if it is fossilized...oh well.  I
read that here:  http://www.dragontrees.com/dragonhi.html

Other varieties that I've read about are

Paulownia kawakamii     30-40 ft
Paulownia fortunei      75 ft
Paulownia Orienta
Paulownia Catalpifolia
Paulownia Taiwaniana

I think most are sold as ornamentals instead of timber trees.

Bev

--
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public
debt  should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered
and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed
lest Rome become bankrupt.  People must again learn to work, instead of
living on public assistance."

--Cicero, 55 BC
http://erthnsky.blogspot.com/