"Dave Poole" wrote in messagein reply to
Bob Hobden

During the week we went to the Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust place at
Barnes
for the look see and whilst there I notices a couple of small trees,
about
15ft tall, that had erect racemes of large Penstemen like blue flowers.
Now
they looked like Jacaranda to me but I haven't yet had a reply from them
about these trees.

Bob, they would be Paulownia tormentosa ('Empress tree', 'Princess
tree', or Royal Paulownia) a Chinese native that is very widely grown
in the SE of the US. Paulownia is in the same family as the Jacaranda
(and Penstemon for that matter), but is quite winter hardy whereas
Jacaranda can only tolerate winters in the far South. Flowering can
be a bit if a hit and miss affair since flowers are formed in terminal
buds during autumn. If there is a series of harsh frosts, or even
searing winds during winter, the embryonic flower buds will be damaged
or killed. (snip)

Thanks Dave and Sacha, I have no doubt you are both correct.The leaves would
have been a giveaway had there been any. Didn't recognise them because I've
only ever seen them coppiced for leaf effect so not seen the flowers before.
The site they are in is flat and open to the Thames so they must therefor
get strong winds and are altogether rather exposed, but then it is in
London.

--
Regards
Bob

Some photos of my plants at.....