Royal Empress - Paulownia tomentosa

[bilbocannon]

Does anybody have any experience with Royal empress? I have heard they are not good to bonsai? I just bought some seeds and figured I would try.


This apparently grows super fast so why not try? I figure at the very least it would be a good tree to experiment with.


"Paulownia tomentosa, also known as the Princess Tree or Empress Tree, is one of the world's fastest growing trees.

The tree is increasing in popularity, as it has become evident that the fast growth and the great surface area of the leaves makes this one of the most significant "carbon sinks" available on the planet.

It removes carbon dioxide from our atmosphere and replaces this gas with breathable oxygen at approximately more than ten times the amount of carbon dioxide that other trees are able. Also, it throws ten times more oxygen;
With a diameter of 2m, it can be used as lumber, as its growing speed is really fast. It has the fastest growth in the world: In one year, it can reach 4.5m of height. After eight years, it can reach the height of a 40 year old oak;
It can survive almost any situation! For example, if it burns, it can regenerate its roots really fast;
Also, it tolerates the polution, and do not need fertile floor. - It can result a great fertilizer, since its leaves are rich in nitrogen, and its roots prevent the erosion of the floor;
Its leaves can be used to make a really tasty tea, and its beautiful flowers attract bees.
Botanical characteristics

Paulownia has rough bark. Its light green heartshaped deciduous leaves are very large – sometimes 12 inches long and 7 inches wide. Formed in fall, its brown olive shaped buds flower in spring. Blossoms, lilac blue with yellow inside, arrive before leaf out in the spring. The fragrant blossoms are held upright in clusters 6 to 12 inches long and last several weeks. Seed capsules shaped like tops remain after the flowers drop. Bees love Paulownia blossoms so honey is an added plus for this versatile tree."

Obviously the large leaves are going to be an issue but I plan to really test this tree with extreme defoliation/training

 

[bilbocannon]

 

[JudyB]

First off, thanks for changing your name. Now I can look at your posts! I think that this is one battle that may not be worth it. Like catalpa trees, these have the largest leaves of most any trees, and they do not reduce well. The flowers will not reduce at all, so they will be out of scale. I wish you luck, and will be interesting to watch your experiment!

 

[bilbocannon]

First off, thanks for changing your name. Now I can look at your posts! I think that this is one battle that may not be worth it. Like catalpa trees, these have the largest leaves of most any trees, and they do not reduce well. The flowers will not reduce at all, so they will be out of scale. I wish you luck, and will be interesting to watch your experiment!

I have heard that but to be honest I dont mind if its out if scale etc. I l.ove experimenting with stuff

 

[bilbocannon]

This may sound weird but.if leaf reduction doesnt work as everyone is saying, To make the leafs to scale couldnt I just cut each leaf with scissors haha.

 

[JoeR]

I wonder whats the fastest growing tree suitable for bonsai...

 

[bilbocannon]

I wonder whats the fastest growing tree suitable for bonsai...

One of these ?

http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/Fastest-Growing-Trees.htm

 

[CWTurner]

When I purchased the home I'm now living in (28 years ago) I had a big Paulownia tree that was crowding out an Oak that I preferred. After learning that the lumber held some value in Asia (Japan, believe), I contracted with an exporter and he purchased the tree from me for $1,700. He took it down, and cleaned up as part of the deal.

I promised myself that I'd plant a hundred or so at our upstate vacation home but never did. I could be rich now, if the prices have held.

Anyway, I seem to remember reading that if the Paulownia is cut back to a stump, it will grow 6-8 feet the next season with leaves as big as 2 feet across. Maybe 5 or 6 defoliations would get the leaf back to a suitable size?

 

[cmeg1]

The leaves on these trees are so large that full grown three story trees look like 'to scale' Chinese elm bonsai trees.The size of a dinner plate at least.

You might try Japanese Zelkova from seed.I did.If you want small trees in a couple years.

 

[JoeR]

The only possible option with these seeds is to make crazy, coiled, contorted, bent literati with taper and only one or two leaves on the entire tree.

It would still be a stretch but that would be a very unique bonsai.

 

[bilbocannon]

The only possible option with these seeds is to make crazy, coiled, contorted, bent literati with taper and only one or two leaves on the entire tree.

It would still be a stretch but that would be a very unique bonsai.

Thats pretty much my plan

 

[CWTurner]

Think lumber Bilbocannon, think lumber.

 

[cmeg1]

There is about an couple of acres or so of them growing along route 1 not far from home.My boss said the guy planted them just for that reason

 

[Smoke]

The wood is used to make scroll boxes, suseki boxes, pot boxes, and cigar humidors.

 

[jeanluc83]

It sounds like they could become invasive in a hurry. I would be careful about where you plant them.

 

[bilbocannon]

So i finally got around to planting the royal empress. You guys were not wrong about the leaf size,she is only a baby and the leaves a huge haha. Still i will move forward with this experiment

 

[Stickroot]

View attachment 93989

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So i finally got around to planting the royal empress. You guys were not wrong about the leaf size,she is only a baby and the leaves a huge haha. Still i will move forward with this experiment

I have them, very sensitive to fert!
Even Alaska can burn them.
My wife had to have them after seeing one at the STL Japanese festival.
They are a huge leafed pain in my grow space! The fastest growing tree in the WORLD! Wood dealers call it Fortune Wood.
Seeds so tiny I thought it was a joke.

 

[Potawatomi13]

I have heard that but to be honest I dont mind if its out if scale etc. I l.ove experimenting with stuff

Also a fan of unusual "not good Bonsai" trees I am. In this case believe would be better to plant in yard and enjoy thousands of beautiful flowers instead of huge pot battle.

 

[bilbocannon]

Also a fan of unusual "not good Bonsai" trees I am. In this case believe would be better to plant in yard and enjoy thousands of beautiful flowers instead of huge pot battle.

If i had a yard i would. I live in a small unit with a balcony.

 

[eferguson1974]

Now I dont feel bad about asking how crotons would work. Is that tree related to teak? The leaves look similar I believe. I havnt asked about teak because the leaves are huge. Too bad, its easy to find here.