Question

leaf  

tree in August 2012   A plant/tree started growing in front of my house about six years ago. Then I ordered online something I thought was an empress tree for the backyard, but turned out to be the same monster tree. We cut them down each fall to the bare trunk, about 3' from the ground. Each year they start growing again in the spring, and reach about 16'-20' by August. The trunk and long leaf-stems are hollow and lined with a white, milky substance. The tremendous, 20"-plus leaves feel leathery, and what I'd expect elephant ears to feel like. As a matter of fact, they look like elephant ears. Any ideas what this might be? Thanks for your help.

Answer

young tree  

mature tree   Hi Christine,

It does seem to be a Paulownia (Empress tree).  Essentially, you are pollarding the tree by cutting it down each year, which makes it hollow, and keeps the leaves large.  Pollarding is a type of pruning designed to create a large head of leaves.  If you allow the tree to mature, the leaves will be much smaller and it might even bloom. It's one of the fastest growing trees, becoming a mature adult at 10 years.  I'm including 2 pictures, one of a young tree and one of a mature tree.  It's hard to believe they are the same species!  If you google "Paulownia tomentosa", you will see how much the overall shape of the tree and the leaf size can vary, depending on how and where it's cultivated.

Thanks,

Susan