Paulownia tomentosa

Foxglove tree

Location

The Dell

Description:

Hardy, deciduous tree 12-15 m (50-70 ft) tall, with large, heart-shaped leaves 15-40 cm across, arranged in opposite pairs on the stem. The flowers are produced in early spring on panicles 10-30 cm long, with tubular pale purple flowers. The fruit is a dry capsule, containing thousands of minute seeds. Native to much of China and Korea. If pruned hard they produce large leaves but as they grow to maturity the leaves grow smaller but the foxglove like flowers appear. The tree here at Hinton Ampner was cut to the ground in 2010 because of a rotting trunk but it has re-sprouted from the stump. Unlike P.fortunei which is very fast growing we will have to wait a few more years for the large flowers which distinguish it from P. fargessi and P.fortunei.

Site and Care:

Grow in poor, well-drained soil of any type and full sun. Propagation from seed is easy but it needs frost protection in its early years.