This plant is in the figwort family. It exhibits a growth habit similar to that of the fig tree.

It can grow 40 - 60 feet and the leaves can be 12 inches across or more. The leaves will have woolly hairs.

The flowers are the most impressive spring blooms ever.

They hang down in lavender showy bells similar to foxglove.

Zones 6 - 9.

Grow in sunny to half sunny areas.

Time released fertilizer is best.

Pruning should be the early spring directed only to dead wood. Do major cutting after flowering. Sow seeds or root cuttings in the spring. This is a great specimen for the garden lawn or city parks. Give it lots of room!

Propagation: the paulownia seeds can be sown as soon as ripe or store for up to a year. When these pods are mature/brown and crusty they are ready for harvesting. Root cuttings are easily done.

Some questions from Emily's mailbox:

good information from a reader:
Hi!
Thanks so much for responding! I did some researching and perhaps you can let the others you mentioned know what I have found out concerning my Royal Empress trees.

I found out that they require a good deal of Nitrogen, B1 and potassium. The ideal fertilizer mix would be 30-10-10 or 20-10-10. I looked around and the best I could find close to this was Miracle-Gro being 24-8-16.

I also picked up a bag from the Espoma company, "Quick Solutions Fast Acting Nitrogen" Ammonium sulfate.
I mixed the Miracle-Gro with about a 1/4 cup of the Ammonium Sulfate into about 1 1/2 gallons of water.

I watered my trees with this about twice a week. Over the past 3 weeks my leaves have stopped turning yellow and drying up. Some of the leaves are still speckled with tiny brown dry spots But for the most part the majority of the leaves are still a deep green color.  I have new leaves growing every day. I don't know if this is normal but I have a decent number of ants that are going up and down the trunk. Is that normal for all trees?

I've been careful not to over-do-it with fertilizer which is a tempting thing to do when you start to see an improvement. I imagine that too much water can cause problems as well, right? These trees are 2 years old and are about 14 feet high with a large spread. They eventually should produce lavender flowers but no sign of them yet.

Thanks, again, for your time and if anyone else can explain the brown dotted leaves please let me know!
 

A: I would only suspect the roots of this tree would present a problem..... they are huge and this is a relatively fast grower......

I would not recommend anything this size near the septic tank.

Q: I have a question about the magnificent Paulownia tree. I've always admired it and I want to grow them. I live in the mountains of southern California, just below 7000 feet. I cannot remember when the last time it has gotten below zero but it does snow up here. They say I live in a zone 9 and that the tree will be fine in my zone. But my "zone 9" can get a lot colder than other "zone 9's" in southern CA. Will this grow up here? Nobody can give me a straight answer. Will you Please?

A: I think you should be ok, in trying the Empress Tree. I have been informed that several people have grown them far above your zone in Canada.

As a young tree it may die back a couple of years in a row but do not give up on it. It is only getting stronger each year.

Q: We just recently moved into a new house in Dallas, TX and would like some suggestions on nice, fast growing trees for this area. Also, I've read your remarks on the Paulownia tree. How far apart from the house should this tree be planted because of its root system?

A: Plant the Empress tree very far away it grows to 50 ft and maybe beyond. My five year old tree is 40 ft. Give it plenty of room........Mine is at least 35 feet away.

Q: Hi, I just received an answer to a query bout the advisability of planting the paulownia tree in my area. I live in up state New York in zone 4. The advice came from a large grower in California and she said it would be fine if I just mulched around the tree in the winter. I explained that it regularly dips well below zero in the winter, but she said it would be ok. Honestly, what do you think?

A: My reference point for the Paulownia tree is the A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants (publication date 1997) and they suggest comfortable growing zones of 6-9, without pampering the tree. If you do decide to grow this in Zone 4 (where I grew up - and there were a mighty number of days below zero) it would be at a risk. Unfortunately it is too large of a tree to grow in a container unless you continually prune the tree and offered winter inside protection.

Sometimes maturity on a plant material will ensure the stresses and strains of a 'out of zone growing experience' but microclimates come into play.

I am always game for trying a challenge but in all honesty, it may not be a good idea.

Q: I live just north of Minneapolis, MN, and wonder if there are any hardy paulownia trees that would tolerate our cold winters. Any ideas?

A: Paulownias will grow in zones 6 to 9 comfortably. Stretching the zones much more will not guarantee the tree to grow successfully. And I suspect you are in a lower zone than six.

Additional information: I came across some more recent information about the Empress tree that I would like to pass on to you. This came from an article in the April /May issue of Birds and Bloom. Someone wrote in, and I quote "As beautiful as they are, these plants are a royal pain for natural areas and preserves in the southern states because they rapidly reproduce and grow so fast. The dense shade they cast also smothers out native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. In many states, the princess tree is on the Invasive Species List and should not be planted."

I think this should be well noted.

You can get a copy of the Invasive Plant List from your local county extension agent or your State's Department of Natural Resources.

Q: I planted two Paulownia trees that were only about six inches tall. The first season, they grew about one foot and lost their leaves in the fall. The second season, a new shoot came up (the original "tree" is just a stick) which grew about 2.5 to 3ft. We live in Minnesota, probably just outside the hardiness zone, but it has survived one winter.

My question is this, will this tree continue to die off and send up a new "tree" each season, or will the new shoot eventually re-leaf out in the spring? Also, for these first two seasons, it has only been a stick with huge leaves on it. Will it eventually form actual branches? Or should I be doing some pruning to promote branching?

A: The Paulownia tree indeed is a hardy and fast grower. The more maturity on the tree the more hardy it becomes and reliability of returning from a winter.

Yes I would promote branching by pruning. It may stay a 'stick' for a couple of years 'til it takes off.

Mulch in the summer, keeping the mulch away form the truck at least 3 inches so disease and insects are not encouraged.

Regular fertilizing like 10-10-10 will be just fine

Q: What insects, or pests infest the Paulownia Tree? We have two trees that we just planted. One is two feet and the other is three feet tall. The leaves are being eaten by worms and we would like to know more about this type of tree.

A: There are considerable pest problems for the Paulownia Tree. Canker /die back/powdery mildew/wood rot and mushroom rot are the most common. If you see worms, I would take one and get it identified at your local county extension office or a local nursery. Hope this helps and not tooooo late.

Q: My mother and I each planted an Empress Tree a few years ago. She lives in Florida and planted the tree in direct sun. I live in Georgia and planted mine in partial sun. Both of our trees have gotten very tall (15-20 ft) and are well branched. Neither of our tress have bloomed. My mother's tree in Florida gets these upright bunches of pods in the spring and they stay on the tree all year, but does not bloom. Mine never gets these pods. Can you please tell us how to get these tress to bloom?

A: I have had several questions similar to yours. You have planted them in good full sun and yes they are fast growers. They like well-drained ground and give them 10-10-10 fertilizer in the spring.

I believe they have to have some maturity on them before blooming. I know mine did. Mine is about 5 years old and from a cutting. If yours was germinated from a seed it would take longer. There is no way of knowing at this point.

Mine has bloomed twice and I do get pod (seeds). When these pods are mature/brown and crusty they are ready for harvesting.

I wish you luck.

Q: I just bought three Paulownia trees. I got interested with the tree because I needed a flowering, fast growing tree for my yard. I have a medium size yard with three trees already growing. While waiting for the trees from the nursery, I came across a site that tells more about the tree. It's describing the tree as a weed because it spreads all over the place and invades flower beds and all. Is there anyway to prevent this from happening? I learned that weeding can help but is there anyway to prevent the seeds from spreading in my lawn before they grow into little "weeds"?

A: Yes the Paulownia tree can be a nuisance. It is the fastest tree I have seen growing aside from the Cassia tree. You can manually pull up the new little trees. That probably is the best weed control you will have. I would not spray anything. You can try snipping the bloom right after it displays its bloom so the seed will not develop.

Q: After trying for weeks, I can't locate how far apart to plant Paulownia trees. I found all the other useful information about them from your site. Do you sell them?

A: Paulownia trees, the Royal Empress tree, sometimes called the foxglove tree must be given tons of room. Their maturity can be 50 ft tall and more. They spread 30 feet if not more. This is a big "spready" tree.

No, I do not sell them. But I have seen them advertised in the back of Parade magazine on Sunday.

Q: I would like some information on the Royal Paulownia tree. We live in Michigan and would like to plant some of these trees.

A: On my site there is a pretty good description of the Royal Paulownia Tree. Named after a Russian Czar.

It grows very fast. Up to 2-3 ft per year. And, will top at 50 feet. It produces its buds for the following year's bloom rather quickly in the year.

It smells wonderful. Sometimes called the foxglove tree, for its blooms are wonderous and look like foxglove.

Q: Empress Paulownia Tree \ Empress Paulownia Tomentosa. I would appreciate more information about this tree.

• Root system?
• Do flower \ seeds produce more trees?
• Does the tree need \ tolerate pruning?

A: The root system is HUGE. The Paulownia tree can grow two feet or more each year and grow to 50 ft. Yes, after flowering, seeds are produced from the buds. About 200 seeds per pod. You can prune almost anytime after flowering but before new flower pods form (although you can sacrifice some of them for pruning) it tolerates pruning well.

Leave lots of growing room for this tree.

Q: I was told to contact your web site for information about Paulownia trees.

A: Yes I am presently growing a Paulownia Tree / empress tree (paulownia tomentosa) / royal paulownia/ foxglove tree. It is a FAST grower, growing from 8-10 feet a year and will reach 30-40 to 60 feet in maturity. Its hardiness zone is 6-9.

It will grow in full sun or partial shade. It produces HUGE leaves. They are lavender and also look like foxglove, and that is why this tree is sometimes known as the foxglove tree. The flower buds will appear for next year in the summer, so take care for the following spring blooms. Often a severe winterkill will affect the blooms. When planting protect it form the wind. It will produce a lot of shade.

It will tolerate poor soils but prefers a deep moist and well-drained soil. The time to plant is in the spring, a plant ball or burlaped tree. The past flowers make seed pods that contain seeds up to 200 per pod.

The Japanese use this wood to make bowls, spoons, sandals and furniture.

I am growing it in honor of a very dear Japanese friend that I know.

I so enjoy my tree. I bought it with a friend who has one also growing. I started mine from a gallon plant.

Q: I planted a Paulownia tree about 15 years ago. Never pruned just let it grow. This year the large seed pods did not fall off and the extra weight has broken off two top branches. Do I just cut off the pods?

A: I think you should wait until the pods mature, that way the seeds will be ready. If you take them green they will not be fruitful for germination. Have you had luck with the seeds ????

Q: I know you suggested that best planting time for The Royal Empress Tree would be in the spring. Would it hurt the tree if I would plant it in the fall?

A: You may try it IF you take some great TLC or could you possibly wait 'til it is dormant? Depending where you live and what zone. If you plant in the fall and it gets great new growth and zap winter comes in early you may do damage. Then again, if you can transplant during dormancy it is better. The let spring take over.

Q: I have a young (about 3 years old) empress tree in my backyard here in Olympia, Washington. I hope you can help me. The leaves are starting to curl and getting a little darker. After looking at your site, I've learned that I should be fertilizing it. Can you give me some advice on that, ie. what I should use? Also, if it matters I've been giving it about 2 gallons of water a week.

A: In some areas of the country the Empress Tree may get totally out of hand and grow like a monster. In your area, I suspect the rate of growth will be slower.

Yes I would encourage a regular fertilizing schedule. Nothing more than what you would do for all of your other trees and shrubs.

I would be sure you have allowed plenty of space for its eventual growth.

I would not water it any different after the first year. But always keep an eye on it.

Trees need to acclimate into the surrounding climate and environment and develop some immunity to drought situations. Most will.

I do enjoy and love this tree.

It is difficult to find in nurseries.

Q: I am very confused. I planted about 10 Empress seedlings about three years ago. I live in North Florida on the Gulf coast 50 miles south of Tallahassee. We have had very serious drought conditions here for 3 years....since I planted the trees. I have about an acre and the tree I planted in the backyard got more watering than the others and has done well. I have 7 trees that survived.

This year I dug a basin around the backyard tree and poured the water to it almost every day. Several weeks ago it developed flower pods and now they are coming into bloom! This is Sept. I thought they bloomed in the spring!!? Also, the tree is only 3 years old. I thought they had to be 7 years old or so to flower.

A: The Empress tree apparently needs plenty of water. Mine has grown to 40 feet in 3 years.

Yes they normally do bloom in the springtime.

Yours are out of sync just a tad, but go with it.

Make sure they are mulched well.

Yes, maturity on a plant helps the blooms along.

Do not force the trees too much. It will make them grow too fast and not strong.

I would let the trees acclimate to the natural amount of rain you are receiving. No matter that you are in a drought.

Blooming sometimes does not have fast and hard rules. Ideal conditions (such as yours) may force a plant into blooming earlier than the maturity of the plant intends it to.

Sound like you are doing a lot of things correct.

Q: Hi. Three months ago we bought a "new" old house. It took until last week to find out the name of this very interesting tree in our backyard!! Everyone who visited asked what it was & it's nice to finally have an answer. (It's a Paulownia Tree) But, with every answer comes questions. We have no idea how old the tree is, and are pretty sure it has been neglected. We'd like to prune it, but don't really know the difference between actual tree & suckers. Can you give us any advice on caring for this poor thing? It's currently about 7 or 8 ft wide (at around the 4 to 5 ft tall mark) and has 2 very tall "stalks" (about 20 ft or so). The stalks have HUGE leaves. The lower wood's leaves are noticeably smaller. Would appreciate any advice you could give.

A: From your descriptions it sounds like you have a very mature tree, if it is 7-8 feet across. Suckers usually come up form the bottom of the tree and are straight branches. Yes they can be trimmed off with no consequences.

The leaves on this tree are very huge and sometimes get larger as the season progresses. It is deciduous tree so the leaves should be falling soon if not already. I would not trim 'til after the spring bloom next year. You do not want to enhance any new growth before the winter season.

It sounds as though the tree is very happy growing where it is. Save seed pods next spring and plant when mature for new trees.

Obviously you know this is a very fast growing tree....