Royal Empress Tree Paulownia tomentosa

This plant is problematic and alternatives should be considered.  Please see the suggestions in the left-hand column.

Native to Eastern Asia the princess tree is a deciduous fast growing tree in the Paulowniaceae family.  The tree is named in honor of Russian Princess Anna Paulowna (1795-1865), while the species name tomentosa means hairy in Latin.   This shade tree grows rapidly adding 15 feet each year to reach a mature height of 50 feet and width of 30 feet in just 10 years.  It is considered one of the fastest growing trees in the world.  

The leaves of this plant are large and velvety soft looking very much like those on a catalpa tree.  Flowers appear on second year wood are light purple pink, showy, and smell like vanilla.  Woody brown seed capsules follow and in the fall they break open to reveal winged seeds.

It tolerates a range of soils including low fertility and high acidity but prefers moist, deep, sandy-loam well-drained soil.  While it can withstand some light shade it prefers full sun.  Air pollution and coastal conditions do not bother this tree in the slightest and it self seeds very easily in the landscape.  The canopy produces dense shade making it difficult to grow plants underneath and it competes with native plants for nutrients and water. Once it is cut down, it will send up growth along the roots several feet out from the original tree and is difficult to kill.  This tree is not recommended for landscape planting.

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 North Carolina Forest Service, USDA National Invasive Species Information Center; the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States