I am glad to hear someone finally make the very points that I had thought of myself anytime I read how about how sinister the tomentosa is. I have seen one of these that actually grew up out in the woods and it is completely surrounded by tulip poplars and sycamores, and cannot compete with them for sunlight. It has no chance against them. Also I have a 9 year old tomentosa in my backyard and after all the millions of seeds that thing has released over the years, I had one sapling to pop up underneath the porch. That is it. I have yet to see any saplings anywhere else in the yard. My silver maple on the other hand, every Spring there are thousands of them getting hit by the lawnmower. Also bradford pears take over all of the fence rows and they are guaranteed to collapse under their own weight once mature, and yet nobody seems bothered by them. I almost think the Paulownia gets attacked because the lumber industry fears them replacing their trees. If they were smart they would start growing their own.

@alexfunk2047

Жыл бұрын

The one under your porch may very well have come up from a root, not a seed.

We had two very large specimens of the Tomentosa in the 1960s astride the main walk to our elementary school that was built in the 1920s. The trees were huge, well into the second story of our two story school building and therefore at minimum 25'. The trunks were gnarly and grotesque, but the flowers were gorgeous and flooded with delicious nectar (tasty, hope they weren't toxic, gee). School and trees have been gone since the 1970s. The only other local species I've seen in the Virginias were neither so old, nor so large. I never viewed them as particularly invasive, either. Thanks for your documentation.

@alexfunk2047

Жыл бұрын

The flowers are indeed edible. So are the leaves, but not tasty!

I have "fortunei" in my garden here in UK. Now entering second summer. Ended last year as a 5!0" high bare trunk, which was 2" thick. It emerged again 4 weeks ago, is now in full leaf up to 8'0". The leaves are magnificent; about 2' across already. They're like elephant ears. I'm in SE of England an get a lot of sunshine hours. It is in full sun. I'll not prune it until it's had two full seasons and as a fast grower you never stake it above knee high as it'll grow to weak. How you prune dictates what you get...flowers or big leaves.

Paulownia does not seem to spread in the countryside but in Urban environments they are vey much invasive, in central Europe they grow everywhere on between walls and sidewalk and in cracks in the asphalt, on old parking lots etc... I see some everyday deforming asphalt as they grow... In a very similar fashion than Ailanthus

many many thanks for informative video

I enjoyed listening to your informative presentation. Where can l get quality seeds to buy ?

I’ve never seen evidence of invasiveness either. I look for it here and in surrounding states. In central Indiana they are hard to keep alive. It’s too hot and dry here. They thrive in high moisture and partial shade, as do most trees. Trees depend on other trees to survive, by having shelter from the drying effect of the sun, until a root system is in place.

It depends on your climate as well. P. tomentosa does NOT go out of control in semi-arid climates, for example. It is an enormously useful, hardy shade tree in such climates. I live in North Central Victoria, Australia, and planted a number of Paulownia suckers in 2019 and 2020. They are only just beginning to establish root systems in the last 2 years or so, and some are still only 3 feet tall! But the ones that are established, 12 to 15 feet tall, are producing welcome shade and providing understorey habitat for useful plants, such as potatoes. Me cultivating my potatoes is causing them to sucker (it disturbs the Paulownia's root system) but that's okay, as it provides me with propagation stock that I can transplant elsewhere on my 20-acre farm!

Olá ! Se for possível gostaria de saber porque a minha Paulownia tem todas as características , más suas flores são rosa e em forma de Buquê ! Gratidão ! Namastê !

I cant imagine using tissue cultures is good for the genetic diversity for the species and could probably lead to specific pests and diseases later down the road.

There are thousands growing along rivers in eastern Pennsylvania, they are spreading everywhere.

@quesodillanocheese6198

Жыл бұрын

Maryland and Virginia too. They spread like wildfire along roadways, railways, and recently developed areas. Then they slowly spread into natural areas.

@coleymoke6709

2 ай бұрын

Does that mean that they are a blessing or a curse? (I am thinking about planting one for a friend who has ALS.)

I've never heard of or seen one until a few started mysteriously growing in my old pond out back. I let them go to see what they'd become, thinking at first it was just a weed!

As sementes vem de dentro da flor , são diferentes desta.

I am considering planting this tree in an oversized pot in my small back garden. I am just wondering if the tree drops seed will I have more trees growing throughout my small lawn? I really only have space for 1 tree!

@alexfunk2047

Жыл бұрын

Not much risk from seeds, but it will burst the pot before very long.

@emmachadwick-pyne997

Жыл бұрын

@@alexfunk2047 thanks for your reply. ive decided to pot a cherry blossom instead!

I'm going trees in malawi and this was very helpful

@kupukaimuseka4334

7 ай бұрын

How is your paulownia growing? Planting 5ha in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼

Is the variety that IS invasive called the "Royal Empress" tree?

I have been trying to grow Empress tree from seed in Western Washington State for years with no luck. I have collected the pods from different trees, mail ordered them and have tried all the methods I could find. I have looked for reproduction around mature trees and find none with even suckering rare. The Empress tree grows quite well here as do most temperate trees. There are no naturized invasive trees here in the Pacific Northwest, or at least none that don't depend on human disturbance for their long term survival, so I don't think I am creating a monster. Here, a tree has to get big, fast like the natives do, or it will be shaded out. Some trees, like White Poplar and Black Locust are branded as invasive but this is temporary as they are over topped by the natives in 20-30 years and die. For some reason P. Tomentosa just does not reproduce here.

@treelife365

2 жыл бұрын

It's strange that you were unable to get any of the seeds from P. tomentosa to germinate! Did you try the "water on windowsill" germination method? The seeds germinate well when this is done to them, and if you wait until you can see leaves and use tweezers to plant them into soil, they do well. If you simply spread the seeds that are starting to show root, onto soil, then very few will make it to tree stage (but if this is done onto soil that has a clear cover or mini greenhouse, then so many will make it!).

@buckwylde7965

2 жыл бұрын

@@treelife365 Yep, tried the water on window sill several times, with and without distilled water. Finally bought a P. Tomentosa online and it is growing crazy. Who knows? As my horticulture prof used to say when he could not answer a question " I have to refer you to a higher authority" as he pointed a figure skyward

@laurak4300

2 жыл бұрын

I currently have one full grown Polowina on my property. We just bought it last year. I was shocked when I saw we had one. I live in WNC. I harvested seeds from it last fall and I currently have over 300 of them growing in my greenhouse. It look me 3 tries to get the soil, water, and lighy right. They are not easy to grow. As far as they are invasive. I have only seen the one large tree for acres around. It's so beautiful when it blooms in the spring.

@b_uppy

2 жыл бұрын

Sometimes a plant may several specific processes in a row. Did you ever look up how to do it or did you rely on guess work?

@buckwylde7965

Жыл бұрын

@@b_uppy Nope, researched and tried every method I could find. I also looked for and could not find any form of natural reproducing around the different trees that I collected seeds from, including suckering. It's one of things, like how Kentucky Blue Grass looks great for a few years here in the Pacific Northwest and then dies. Nobody knows why. Perpetual Rye is the go to lawn grass here. Empress Trees grow like crazy here, they just don't make more of themselves.

En France il n'y a, pour l'instant, qu'une espèce de Paulownia controversée mais pas interdite car en examen, c'est le Paulownia Tomentosa

Deer love to eat the seedlings. They don’t get a chance to grow because deer eat them down constantly.

Is the empress tree invasive..??? Yes. But, its benefits outweight the problems. Don't plant near foundations or sewage drain fields.

Are the seeds or leaves harmful to animals such as horses or cattle?

@treelife365

2 жыл бұрын

The seeds are very tiny... no bigger than the head of a pin. If you're talking about the seed pods, however, no, I have not heard that!

@arborescentumpaulownia

2 жыл бұрын

Leaves provide over 20% protein for fodder. Seeds are infertil and useless.

@b_uppy

2 жыл бұрын

Actually I know at least some varieties are planted in cattle pastures in Japan because the leaves are high protein and retain their palatbility after falling. Their roots avoid the grass' rootzone so you are making better use of your soil. Make sure horses, donkeys and males have zero access to them. The protein content is 16% and could cause them to founder.

@tfortreesinternational3739

Жыл бұрын

On the contrary they rich in nutrients for livestock Fodder.

where i live paulowina is an emerging invasive species that threatens to shade out endangered grasslands

I think people deliberately propagate many plants in odd places, then the plants get erroneously blamed as invasives. A lot of Karens then assume they're 'invasive'. Think the Karen's are the invasives...

Plant this tree in Poland.

If this tree lived in North America but died out and then was reintroduced then its reintroduced to former native ranges not invasive.

@reecewearing9078

11 ай бұрын

A plant may be considered native or non-native, and invasive or non-invasive. A tree may be native and also invasive if it tends to crowd out other plants in an ecosystem. For example, sugar maples are native to the Chicago Region, yet they are considered invasive in oak-hickory savannas of this area since they tend to shade out native grasses and oak saplings in the absence of seasonal fires.

@monicaross4013

9 ай бұрын

@@reecewearing9078 so then maybe it's the humans who are invasive haha

Thankfully in England what we call a sycamore (acer pseudoplatanus) is more invasive than Norway maple which has been planted by every local council across the country lol.

This makes me mad. Another lie from the government. Trying to quell a beautiful tree!

@reecewearing9078

11 ай бұрын

Her argument for the non-invasiveness of the princess tree was based on government research...

@sea_bass21

11 ай бұрын

@@reecewearing9078 I still don't like it