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Old 03-02-2003, 06:06 PM
paghat
 
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Default Ever heard of Paulownia trees?

In article ,
(Iris Cohen) wrote:

I read this ad where this tree grows so fast in one season. goes to

30,40 or
even 50 feet high, with gorgeous lavender blooms.

Paulownia tomentosa, or princess tree, has its good points. It depends

on where
you live. It would be at its best in Zone 6b. It is not hardy in the North,
although there was one in Syracuse for many years. Any further south, it is
extremely weedy and invasive, and you would have your neighbors cursing you.

Iris


I've not heard its particular invasive for around here (Northwest) though
I've seen it condemned on the east coast, & in my local town it is on the
"No!" list for streetside trees for fear its roots will lift sidewalks
(though many trees equally apt to do that are permitted). Many on the
market now are clones, & I've never looked to see if they are ever
assessed as less apt to be invasive. A big old one at Bloedell Gardens is
beautiful even in winter with big burst seedpods decorating it top to
bottom. Such a tree wouldn't be in keeping with my yards, but if I wanted
something that grows rapidly with oversized leaves, I'd go for our local
giant maple, which is not regarded as invasive merely because it is
native. As it happens this maple keeps choosing me since they erupt here &
there on their own, & I finally decided to let one stay at least for a
while; that one sprang up from seed to 8 feet in on year (no parent tree
in eye-shot so the seeds fly in from very far), but some perversity
overcame me & I trimmed it to 6 feet hoping it wouldn't be a rangy young
thing. Still undecided whether to keep it, if it stayed enough years it'd
take out part of the fence & shove at the sidewalk.

A pink-flowering horsechestnut would also be a nice (perhaps better)
Northwest choice instead of Paulownia, though I've no intention to plant a
horsechestnut either. I had one erupt in one of the gardens immediately
underneath a stone bench (probably it was the regular white-blooming one,
& likely a crow tossed the nut into the yard as they're always trying to
break walnuts & chestuts by dropping them from on high). Under a bench was
a foolish place to seed itself, so I dug it up & put it in a pot, but
either it disliked the disruption or I cared for it badly as it died in
the pot.

Judging by what I have planted instead of big-leafed trees, I'm apparently
keener on trees with littler leaves, & love the likes of beeches or oaks
or Japanese maples or the usual temperate fruit trees.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl:
http://www.paghat.com/