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Royal Empress Tree Paulownia tomentosa

Phonetic Spelling
pa-LOH-nee-a toh-men-TOH-suh
This plant is an invasive species in North Carolina
Description

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:
  • 'Alba'
'Alba'
Tags:
#showy flowers#deciduous#invasive#fragrant flowers#purple flowers#edible flowers#velvety#large leaves#high maintenance#showy fruits#fast growing#messy#aggressive#weak wood#self-seeding#disturbed areas#Braham Arboretum#poor soils tolerant#deciduous tree#cpp#weedy#HS303
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Alba'
'Alba'
Tags:
#showy flowers#deciduous#invasive#fragrant flowers#purple flowers#edible flowers#velvety#large leaves#high maintenance#showy fruits#fast growing#messy#aggressive#weak wood#self-seeding#disturbed areas#Braham Arboretum#poor soils tolerant#deciduous tree#cpp#weedy#HS303
  • 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.
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Light Brown
    Light Gray
    Surface/Attachment:
    Fissured
    Lenticels
    Bark Description:
    Thin greyish brown with shallow fissured bark and lenticles.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Gray/Silver
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Problems:
    Invasive Species
    Messy
    Weak Wood
    Weedy