Description

• Paulownia trees are deciduous trees that reach 40 to 50 feet tall. They have large, heart-shaped leaves and striking trumpet-like blossoms in shades of white or purple. Their fruit pods contain hundreds of small seeds.
  
  

Family

• The USDA classifies the paulownia tree as part of the paulownia genus and family Paulowniaceae with nine species and several subspecies. It notes that paulownia is sometimes placed in the Scrophulariaceae family.
  
  

Environment

• While native to Asia, paulownia is also widely cultivated in Japan, Korea and the southern United States. They are easy to grow and can handle slightly toxic soil.
  
  

Uses

• Paulownia is widely used as an ornamental tree because of its pretty blossoms. It is grown for hardwood timber that is used in furniture, surfboards, guitars and traditional Asian instruments. The trees are also planted for their ability to clean polluted air.
  
  

Fun Fact

• The paulownia tree was named for the Dutch Queen Anna Pavlovna, the daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia. This is also how it gained its nicknames of "princess tree" and "empress tree."