Paulownia tomentosa

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Princess tree
Paulownia tomentosa JPG2a.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Paulowniaceae
Genus: Paulownia
Species:
P. tomentosa
Binomial name
Paulownia tomentosa

Paulownia tomentosa, common names princess tree, [1] empress tree, or foxglove-tree, [2] is a deciduous hardwood tree in the family Paulowniaceae, native to central and eastern China and the Korean Peninsula. [3] [4] It is an extremely fast-growing tree with seeds that disperse readily [5] and is considered an invasive exotic species in North America [6] that has undergone naturalisation in large areas of the Eastern US, [7] even though it might be able to successfully get established through seeds only under ideal conditions. [8] P. tomentosa has also been introduced to Western and Central Europe, and is establishing itself as a naturalised species there as well. [9] [10]

Contents

Etymology

Paulownia tomentosa.jpg

The generic name Paulownia honours Anna Pavlovna of Russia, who was Queen Consort of the Netherlands from 1840 to 1849. [11] The specific epithet tomentosa is a Latin word meaning 'covered in hairs'. [12]

Description

2014-05-17 08 51 39 Royal Empress Tree blossoms along Federal City Road in Ewing, New Jersey.JPG

This tree grows 10–25 m (33–82 ft) tall, with large heart-shaped to five-lobed leaves 15–40 cm (6–16 in) across, arranged in opposite pairs on the stem. On young growth, the leaves may be in whorls of three and be much bigger than the leaves on more mature growth. [13] The leaves can be mistaken for those of the catalpa.

The very fragrant flowers, large and violet-blue in colour [14] are produced before the leaves in early spring, on panicles 10–30 centimetres (4–12 in) long, with a tubular purple corolla 4–6 centimetres (1+122+14 in) long resembling a foxglove flower. The fruit is a dry egg-shaped capsule 3–4 centimetres (1+181+58 in) long, containing numerous tiny seeds. The seeds are winged and disperse by wind and water. Pollarded trees do not produce flowers, as these form only on mature wood.

Paulownia tomentosa requires full sun for proper growth. [15] [16] It is tolerant of pollution and can tolerate many soil types. It can also grow from small cracks in pavements and walls. Paulownia can survive wildfires because the roots can regenerate new, very fast-growing stems.

P. tomentosa is drought-resistant and thrives in barren soil, particularly suitable for cold and arid regions. Its main trunk is short, and its growth rate is relatively slow. [17]

Range

Native range

P. tomentosa is native to much of central and eastern China [3] [4] and to the Korean peninsula; [4] the Flora of China considers the latter as non-native. [3] In China, it occurs in the following provinces: Anhui, Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan. [3] [4]

Paulownia Tomentosa.jpg

Introduced range

Europe

In August 2021 the EPPO added P. tomentosa to its Alert List, not due to any particular known problem within Europe, but as a step to begin assessing whether it should be regarded as a problematic invader. [4]

Africa

North America

United States

Oceania

Asian introduced range

Uses

Paulownia tomentosa is cultivated as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [18] [19]

Because of its tolerance and flexibility, Paulownia functions ecologically as a pioneer plant. Its nitrogen-rich leaves provide good fodder and its roots prevent soil erosion. Eventually, Paulownia is succeeded by taller trees that shade it and in whose shade it cannot thrive. [15] [16]

The characteristic large size of the young growth is exploited by gardeners: by pollarding the tree and ensuring there is vigorous new growth every year, massive leaves are produced (up to 60 centimetres (24 in) across). These are popular in the modern style of gardening which uses large-foliaged and "architectural" plants.

The soft, lightweight seeds were commonly used as a packing material by Chinese porcelain exporters in the 19th century, before the development of polystyrene packaging. Packing cases would often leak or burst open in transit and scatter the seeds along rail tracks. The magnitude of the numbers of seeds used for packaging, together with seeds deliberately planted for ornament, has allowed the species to be viewed as an invasive species in areas where the climate is suitable for its growth, notably Japan and the eastern United States. [20]

In Japan, it is customary to plant seeds of the tree when a couple has a daughter; it is said that by the time the daughter is in her older teens or at the peak of adulthood when she is ready to marry, the tree by this time has also grown to maturity, which is then felled and made into a tansu dresser as a wedding gift.[ citation needed ] The timber is used in making instruments, as well.[ citation needed ][ clarification needed ]

P. tomentosa has been suggested as a plant to use in carbon capture projects. P. tomentosa has large leaves that readily absorb pollutants, and also has value in timber and aesthetics, adding to interest surrounding its use in carbon capture. [21]

Inaccurate citation practices have led to circulating claims that P. tomentosa performs C4 carbon fixation. However, this species does not fulfill the experimental criteria necessary to demonstrate C4 photosynthesis. [22]

Composition

Some geranyl flavonoids can be found in P. tomentosa. [23] Verbascoside can also be produced in hairy roots cultures of P. tomentosa. [24]

Pictures

Related Research Articles

<i>Catalpa</i> Genus of plants

Catalpa, commonly also called catawba, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical regions of North America, the Caribbean, and East Asia.

<i>Wisteria</i> Genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae

Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The genus includes four species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and north of Iran. They were later introduced to France, Germany and various other countries in Europe. Some species are popular ornamental plants. The genus name is also used as the English name, and may then be spelt 'wistaria'. In some countries in Western and Central Europe, Wisteria is also known by a variant spelling of the genus in which species were formerly placed, Glycine. Examples include the French glycines, the German Glyzinie, and the Polish glicynia.

<i>Campsis radicans</i> Species of vine

Campsis radicans, the trumpet vine, yellow trumpet vine, or trumpet creeper, is a species of flowering plant in the trumpet vine family Bignoniaceae, native to eastern North America, and naturalized elsewhere. Growing to 10 metres, it is a vigorous, deciduous woody vine, notable for its showy trumpet-shaped flowers. It inhabits woodlands and riverbanks, and is also a popular garden plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peony</span> Genus of flowering plants in the family Paeoniaceae

The peony or paeony is any flowering plant in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. Peonies are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America. Scientists differ on the number of species that can be distinguished, ranging from 25 to 40, although the current consensus describes 33 known species. The relationships between the species need to be further clarified.

<i>Alnus glutinosa</i> Species of flowering plant in the birch family Betulaceae

Alnus glutinosa, the common alder, black alder, European alder, European black alder, or just alder, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to most of Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa. It thrives in wet locations where its association with the bacterium Frankia alni enables it to grow in poor quality soils. It is a medium-sized, short-lived tree growing to a height of up to 30 metres (98 feet). It has short-stalked rounded leaves and separate male and female flowers in the form of catkins. The small, rounded fruits are cone-like and the seeds are dispersed by wind and water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perennial</span> Plant that lives for more than two years

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<i>Paulownia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Paulowniaceae

Paulownia is a genus of seven to 17 species of hardwood trees in the family Paulowniaceae, the order Lamiales. The genus and family are native to east Asia and are widespread across China. The genus, originally Pavlovnia but now usually spelled Paulownia, was named in honour of Anna Pavlovna, queen consort of The Netherlands (1795–1865), daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia. It is also called "princess tree" for the same reason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paulowniaceae</span> Family of trees

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<i>Digitalis purpurea</i> Toxic flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Digitalis purpurea, the foxglove or common foxglove, is a toxic species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae, native to and widespread throughout most of temperate Europe. It has also naturalized in parts of North America, as well as some other temperate regions. The plant is a popular garden subject, with many cultivars available. It is the original source of the heart medicine digoxin. This biennial plant grows as a rosette of leaves in the first year after sowing, before flowering and then dying in the second year. It generally produces enough seeds so that new plants will continue to grow in a garden setting.

<i>Ailanthus altissima</i> Deciduous tree in the family Simaroubaceae

Ailanthus altissimaay-LAN-thəss al-TIH-sim-ə, commonly known as tree of heaven, Ailanthus, varnish tree, copal tree, stinking sumac, Chinese sumac, paradise tree, or in Chinese as chouchun, is a deciduous tree in the family Simaroubaceae. It is native to northeast and central China, and Taiwan. Unlike other members of the genus Ailanthus, it is found in temperate climates rather than the tropics.

<i>Albizia julibrissin</i> Species of plant

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<i>Bombax ceiba</i> Species of tree

Bombax ceiba, like other trees of the genus Bombax, is commonly known as cotton tree. More specifically, it is sometimes known as Malabar silk-cotton tree; red silk-cotton; red cotton tree; or ambiguously as silk-cotton or kapok, both of which may also refer to Ceiba pentandra.

<i>Ipomoea indica</i> Species of flowering plant

Ipomoea indica is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, known by several common names, including blue morning glory, oceanblue morning glory, koali awa, and blue dawn flower. It bears heart-shaped or three-lobed leaves and purple or blue funnel-shaped flowers 6–8 cm (2–3 in) in diameter, from spring to autumn. The flowers produced by the plant are hermaphroditic. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Prunus tomentosa</i> Species of tree

Prunus tomentosa is a species of Prunus native to northern and western China, Korea, Mongolia, and possibly northern India. Common names for Prunus tomentosa include Nanjing cherry, Korean cherry, Manchu cherry, downy cherry, Shanghai cherry, Ando cherry, mountain cherry, Chinese bush cherry, and Chinese dwarf cherry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verbascoside</span> Chemical compound

Verbascoside is a polyphenol glycoside in which the phenylpropanoid caffeic acid and the phenylethanoid hydroxytyrosol form an ester and an ether bond respectively, to the rhamnose part of a disaccharide, namely β-(3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→3)-β-D-(4-O-caffeoyl)-glucopyranoside.

<i>Digitalis obscura</i> Species of plant

Digitalis obscura, commonly called willow-leaved foxglove or dusty foxglove or spanish rusty foxglove, is a flowering plant native to regions in Spain and Morocco. It is also grown as an ornamental flower. This foxglove is a woody perennial plant belonging to the family Plantaginaceae. Along with the other foxgloves it used to be placed in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae; however, recent genetic research has moved the genus Digitalis to a larger family. It is similar to many of the foxglove species in its high toxicity and medicinal use as a source for the heart-regulating drug digoxin. Its strikingly distinctive amber- to copper-coloured flowers give the species its name and help distinguish it from other members of the genus.

<i>Paulownia coreana</i> Species of tree

Paulownia coreana, also called Paulownia glabrata or Korean paulownia, is an indigenous species of South Korea. It is cultivated in South Pyongan and south of Gyeonggi.

<i>Paulownia fortunei</i> Species of tree

Paulownia fortunei commonly called the dragontree, dragon tree or Fortune's empress tree, is a deciduous tree in the family Paulowniaceae, native to southeastern China (including Taiwan), Laos and Vietnam. It is an extremely fast-growing tree, due to its use of C4 carbon fixation, and is planted for timber harvesting. It appears to be nowhere near as dangerously invasive as Paulownia tomentosa.

<i>Holoptelea integrifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Holoptelea integrifolia, the Indian elm or jungle cork tree, is a species of tree in the family Ulmaceae, and a close relative to the true elms (Ulmus). It is native to most of Indian subcontinent, Indo-China and Myanmar. It is found mostly on plains but also in mountains on elevations up to 1100 m.

References

  1. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Paulownia tomentosa". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  2. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Paulownia tomentosa (Thunberg) Steudel, Nomencl. Bot. 2: 278. 1841". Flora of China . Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Paulownia tomentosa". EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization). Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  5. "Princess Tree / Empsress Tree". Texas Invasive Species Institute. 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  6. National Invasive Species Information Center. "Princess Tree". Terrestrial Invasives. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024.
  7. "Paulownia tomentosa Seeds". www.seedaholic.com. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  8. "Empress Splendor trees and Invasiveness". worldtree. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  9. "Paulownia tomentosa | Manual of the Alien Plants of Belgium". alienplantsbelgium.be. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  10. "Oxford University Plants 400: Paulownia tomentosa". herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  11. Coombes, Allen J. (2012). The A to Z of plant names . USA: Timber Press. pp.  312. ISBN   9781604691962.
  12. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN   9781845337315.
  13. "image comparing large and small trees". Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2006-05-03.
  14. Fitter, Alastair; More (2012). Trees. [CollinsGem]. ISBN   978-0-00-718306-7.
  15. 1 2 Clatterbuck, Wayne K.; Hodges, Donald G. (2004), Tree Crops for Marginal Farmland: Paulownia, With a Financial Analysis (PB1465) (PDF), The University of Tennessee, p. 8
  16. 1 2 Bonner, F. T. (December 1990). "Royal Paulownia". In Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H. (eds.). Agriculture Handbook 654: Silvics of North America. Vol. 2: Hardwoods. Washington, DC: Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
  17. 中国植物志 [Flora of China] (in Chinese). Vol. 67(2). 科学出版社. 1979. pp. 33–35.
  18. "RHS Plant Selector - Paulownia tomentosa" . Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  19. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 72. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  20. Tom Remaley (2006-06-27). "Princess tree". Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group Least Wanted.
  21. "Paulownia tomentosa: the miracle tree?". Thunder Said Energy. 2020-11-05. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  22. Young, Sophie N. R.; Lundgren, Marjorie R. (2023). "C4 photosynthesis in Paulownia? A case of inaccurate citations". Plants, People, Planet. 5 (2): 292–303. doi: 10.1002/ppp3.10343 .
  23. Šmejkal, Karel; Grycová, Lenka; Marek, Radek; Lemière, Filip; Jankovská, Dagmar; Forejtníková, Hana; Vančo, Ján; Suchý, Václav (2007). "C-geranyl compounds from Paulownia tomentosa fruits". Journal of Natural Products. 70 (8): 1244–1248. doi:10.1021/np070063w. PMID   17625893.
  24. Wysokiińska, H.; Rózga, M. (1998). "Establishment of transformed root cultures of Paulownia tomentosa for verbascoside production". Journal of Plant Physiology. 152 (1): 78–83. doi:10.1016/S0176-1617(98)80105-3.