Paulownia elongata - Foxglove Tree

The Paulownia elongata is a beautiful imperial tree species native to China. This tree shows extremely rapid growth and pubescent leaves reaching 75 cm (30in) in diameter. It offers a splendid spring flowering, with large upright panicles of purple, pleasantly fragrant. It often appears on bare branches, offering a grand spectacle. Melliferous and pioneering plant, this paulownia is not difficult to please. It provides pleasant shade and has a very exotic charm. Suitable for large gardens, this tree can be pruned to ground level every year for the beauty of its foliage, but it will not flower.

The Paulownia elongata is a large deciduous tree of the paulowniaceae or scrophulariaceae family, depending on the classification. It is a very robust species native to central China, where it is extensively cultivated for its lightweight wood, resistant to termites and carpenter ants. Highly resistant to cold, it is also a thermophilic species, most suitable for the Mediterranean climate and hot countries such as Italy, Spain, Croatia, North Africa, etc. The Paulownia elongata resembles the P. tomentosa, but its leaves are slightly longer and narrower, with a sharper tip. The flowers of P. elongata are also longer and darker. The mature tree can reach up to 28 m (92ft) in height in nature. In our climates, when not pruned, it will grow up to 12-13 m, with a spread of 6 to 8 m (20 to 26ft). It reaches its adult size in less than 10 years.

The Paulownia elongata forms a very long and straight trunk, topped by a rounded, airy, often slightly irregular crown. Its spreading branches become hollow with age. The branches that are 1 year old are reddish brown. The lush foliage is composed of very large heart-shaped leaves, light green in colour, measuring 40 to 75 cm (16 to 30in) in diameter. The lamina is smooth on the upper side; the underside has star-shaped hairs with a velvety touch. They turn yellow in autumn before falling. Flowering occurs in May, just before the leaves unfold. The flowers bloom at the end of the branches in upright panicles that can reach 35 cm (14in) in length. The flowers, trumpet-shaped, reach about 7 cm (3in) in length. Their colour varies from light to deep mauve, depending on the specimens. They have an orange-yellow throat and exude a delightful vanilla, powdery, and slightly almond scent. The tree blooms for the first time 6 to 8 years after sowing on branches that are 2 years old. The flowering is followed by the formation of solid, oval and pointed capsules that persist in winter, measuring up to 5 cm (2in) in length. The paulownia's root system develops a spider-like spreading root that penetrates the soil to a depth of 1 to 1.5 m (3 to 5ft), as well as a taproot that can go down to 8 to 9 m (26 to 29ft).

The Paulownia elongata is an extraordinary ornamental tree, and it finds its place in large gardens and parks, planted in rows or as a single tree. If you wish to contain its size and enjoy its foliage in an exotic atmosphere, you can also treat it as a coppice, cutting the tree back every year at the end of winter. In this case, it will sprout from the stump and form 4 m (13ft) tall shoots covered with immense leaves without producing flowers. This species is highly sought after in permaculture: it tolerates shade and feeds bees, and its foliage, which decomposes quickly, provides excellent compost. Its particularly dense root system promotes the establishment of numerous mycorrhizae while stabilising the soil.

Remarkable honey: paulownia honey is light yellow, transparent, light and aromatic, with a colour and texture similar to acacia honey.