Royal Empress Tree Paulownia tomentosa
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- pa-LOH-nee-a toh-men-TOH-suh
- This plant is an invasive species in North Carolina
- Description
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This plant is problematic and alternatives should be considered. Please see the suggestions in the left-hand column.
Native to China, the princess tree is a woody, deciduous, high-maintenance tree in the empress-tree family (Paulowniaceae). It grows rapidly, adding 15 feet each year to reach a mature height of 50 feet and a width of 30 feet in just 10 years. The tree is named for Russian Princess Anna Paulowna (1795–1865), while the species epithet, tomentosa, means “softly hairy” in Latin.
It tolerates a range of soils but prefers moist, deep, sandy loam, well-drained soil. It can withstand some light shade but prefers full sun. It is commonly seen along roadsides and other disturbed openings.
The tree has a rounded canopy that produces dense shade, making it difficult to grow plants under its shade. The leaves are very large (5 to 12 inches), oval or heart-shaped and have velvety hairs on both the top and underside. Distinguished by large clusters of showy lavender flowers that bloom in spring and are fragrant. Flowers appear on second-year wood. Woody brown seed capsules follow, and in the fall, they break open to release small, winged seeds.
The princess tree freely self-seeds in the landscape and is an invasive species in North Carolina. Once it is cut down, it will send up shoots from along the roots, many feet out from the original tree, and is thus difficult to kill. This tree is not recommended for cultivation. Consider one or more of the suggested native alternatives or plants that fill a similar niche listed to the left of this description.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Flower buds can suffer frost damage in the early spring. This plant is weedy, messy, has weak wood and is listed as an invasive species by the NC Invasive Plant Council, North Carolina Forest Service, USDA National Invasive Species Information Center and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Alba'
- 'Alba'
- 'Alba'
- Tags:




























- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Alba'
- 'Alba'
- 'Alba'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Paulownia
- Species:
- tomentosa
- Family:
- Paulowniaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Used in paper, veneer, hand-carvings, clogs, musical instruments, furniture, rice pots, water pails, bowls, and spoons and has medicinal uses in Asia.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- China
- Edibility:
- Flowers are edible, add them to salad as a colorful garnish.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Perennial
- Tree
- Weed
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- 1"-1.5" long woody oval dehiscent capsule containing thousands of small winged seeds. Immature capsules are sticky green turning brown in the fall.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Fragrant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Funnel
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- fused petals
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Large showy upright clusters 14" long of funnel or tube-like 1.5-2 inch long fragrant, edible, flowers appear in the spring. Pale violet to pink with dark spots and yellow stripes; vanilla scented. Flowers resemble foxglove.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Velvety
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Cordate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Opposite simple oval or heart-shaped 5-12 inch with velvety hairs on both sides, pale in color on the underside, resemble catalpa leaves.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Fissured
- Lenticels
- Bark Description:
- Thin greyish brown with shallow fissured bark and lenticles.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Problems:
- Invasive Species
- Messy
- Weak Wood
- Weedy