OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Lamiales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Paulownia tomentosa   FAMILY Paulowniaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Paulownia tomentosa   FAMILY Scrophulariaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America

Paulownia tomentosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 166-01-001:

Paulownia tomentosa   FAMILY Scrophulariaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Paulownia tomentosa

 

COMMON NAME:
Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_pato2_001_lvd

        

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / US Forest Service    pnd_pato2_007_lvd

        

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_paulownia_tomentosa_3

January        

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    jkm080204_007

February    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    jkm080204_012

February    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

Densely tomentose tan flower buds are conspicuous thru the winter, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    jkm090321_007

March    Greenville County    SC

Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve

Large woody ovoid capsules, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

Gill Newberry    gn04_p_tomentosa_branch

April        

Paulownia is becoming a nuisance, showing an ability to invade pristine woodlands, per Weakley's Flora (2022).

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

Gill Newberry    gn04_p_tomentosa_flower

April        

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

Gill Newberry    gn04_s_5_paulownia_flower

April        

Flowers fragrant, appearing before the leaves, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    jkm0304u_07

April    Rutherford County    NC

Chimney Rock Park

The calyx is leathery, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    jkm0404m_03

April    Rutherford County    NC

Chimney Rock Park

Lenticels large, pale, and numerous, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    jkm0404m_05

April    Rutherford County    NC

Chimney Rock Park

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    jkm0404x_12

April    Rutherford County    NC

Chimney Rock Park

Showy erect panicles of pale-violet flowers, tubular with 5 unequal lobes, per Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests (Miller, 2003).

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

Rob Hunnings    rlh_10384

May    Greenville County    SC

Lake Conestee Nature Park

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_paulownia_tomentosa

May        MA

Arnold Arboretum

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_paulownia_tomentosab

May        MA

Arnold Arboretum

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_paulownia_tomentosac

May        MA

Arnold Arboretum

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    jkm0406m_04

June    Greenville County    SC

Parking lot

Ovoid capsule, each containing up to 2000 small winged seeds, per Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Dirr, 1975+).

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    jkm0507m_29

July    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    s050710_ab

July    Fayette County    WV

Roadside

Leaves larger on resprouts, with extra tips often extending at vein tips, per Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests (Miller, 2003).

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    s050710_cd

July    Fayette County    WV

Roadside

Leaf underside.

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    s050710_f

July    Fayette County    WV

Roadside

Leaves heart-shaped and fuzzy-hairy on both surfaces, per Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests (Miller, 2003).

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

Stephanie C. Brundage    scb_070521atlanta29

July    DeKalb County    GA

Kittredge Park

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

Stephanie C. Brundage    scb_070521atlanta31

July    DeKalb County    GA

Kittredge Park

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    jkm0308n_23

August    Alamance County    NC

image of Paulownia tomentosa, Princess Tree, Empress Tree, Royal Paulownia

JK Marlow    jkm0311f_29

November    Rutherford County    NC

Chimney Rock Park

A large tree may produce 20 million seeds in a year, per Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Dirr, 1975+).

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Paulownia tomentosa   FAMILY Paulowniaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Paulownia tomentosa   FAMILY Scrophulariaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Paulownia tomentosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 166-01-001:
Paulownia tomentosa   FAMILY Scrophulariaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Paulownia tomentosa

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

1037

Tree
Perennial

Habitat: Roadsides, disturbed areas, roadcuts, forests, per Weakley's Flora

Non-native: China

Common (uncommon to rare in Coastal Plain)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.


INVASIVE

This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:

 

LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Opposite

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Light purplish-blue
Bilaterally symmetrical
5-lobed calyx
2-lipped 5-lobed tubular corolla
4 fertile included stamens (2 long, 2 short)
Superior ovary
Bisexual

Inflorescence paniculate

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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