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| From In the Garden |
Gorgeous flowers aren't they? As beautiful as they are they are not what draws me to the Paulownia ( Paulownia tomentosa) trees. Can you guess what first caught my eye...
about the paulownia tree? It is not the neat looking bark with visible lenticels.
It is not the fact that this tree is billed as 'one of the fastest' growing trees anywhere. It also is not the fact that it is known as the 'Princess Tree'. The princess tree lore says that when you have a daughter if you plant a paulownia tree that daughter will have great luck her whole life and be a princess. No, that's not it. It is also not the fact that in Japan paulownia trees are used extensively in the making of jewelry boxes and fine and beautiful woodworking pieces. No, it is not that either. What initially caught my eye was the paulownia tree's winter interest-the seedpods!On our way over the mountains and through the woods of I40 near the area of where the Tennessee and North Carolina borders meet is a huge stand of paulownia trees. The seedpods hang on the trees and look so striking that the uninitiated (me!) would think the seedpods were clusters of pecans. I thought how cool! Let's stop to get some of those pecans! Of course I know pecans do not hang on trees in this manner and don't even grow in clusters but hey, I'd never seen a paulownia and had no idea what it was. Even after arriving in North Carolina with great help from my father in law, we simply could not identify the clusters and the type of tree that grew the cool seedpods. It wasn't until I took some of the seedpod clusters to my garden club that Sandy (a kind garden mentor) identified the tree. It's a Princess tree, aka paulownia! That was the first time I had ever heard of a 'Princess Tree' and was my first introduction to paulownias. Mystery solved-thank goodness!
I share this story because I think perhaps others may wonder what type of trees grow the cool seedpods along I40. This post has been a few years in the making because I had to travel I40 in order to photograph the seedpods. Yes, paulownias grow here in Clarksville and many other areas of Tennessee, but no where else in Tennessee are they as striking as in East Tennessee along I40. We recently traveled I40 because we all spent some time in the Smokies during the Christmas season. More on our Christmas in the Smokies next week.
Enjoy the winter and the sight of this interesting tree if you have one growing near you because it is very cool tree year round. This is not the best landscape tree. These trees are very adaptable and will grow just about anywhere there is disturbed soil so they have a tendency to take over and are even considered invasive in some circles. Paulownias are also messy trees and not long lived as far as trees go. I personally do not have one in my garden but do enjoy them along side the roadways. The next time you travel along I40 just look for the cool seedpods of the paulownia....
in the garden....
P.S. As I wrote in my post I do NOT grow the paulownia tree but I do enjoy looking at it. It is listed as a severe threat on the Tennessee Exotic Invasive Plant List. It will overtake natives. It is quite clearly an adaptable plant as I have noted. It is also already growing here-on public lands and private lands but not mine. Despite it being listed I still enjoy looking at the plant and find it most pretty. That being said, would I plant it or recommend it? NO! If you see it growing on your property you might wish to eradicate it but it is not my place to tell anyone to do this. I've never done this on the blog because I would not like someone telling me what I can and can't plant in my garden. We have freedom in this country-we have choices and I believe everyone has to exercise their right to choose while considering the effects the choice may have on others. I've provided the information on this tree, now it is up to readers of this blog to act responsibly when planting or growing invasives-YOU-the reader-make the choice. Until paulownias are outlawed it is still a choice for a landowner to plant it or not. EACH state has their own list of exotic invasives. I have posted on this resource for Tennessee in the past so I am well aware of the invasiveness of plants. I suggest anyone interested in growing this tree should consult their state list and make a judgment on whether they grow it or not. My choice is no, but I will still admire those seedpods when I see the tree:)
