Tuesday, December 24, 2013

About The Royal Paulownia Tree

By Harriett Crosby


Named after the wife of King Willem of the Netherlands the royal paulownia tree is a native of China. This twenty five foot tree has large showy and fragrant flowers that bloom through the spring and summer months. It is a popular export to Japan and holds both industrial and traditional value for their population.

When a daughter is born to a Japanese family they plant one of these trees for her. When she gets married the tree is cut down to create her wedding chest. Another legend says that if the tree is planted close to the house a phoenix will pass near and good fortune follows. You can find at least one item of furniture from this tree in nearly every Japanese home.

American growers have began developing markets for these trees nationally and abroad. China is by far the largest producer of these trees and introduced them to North America as an ornamental for nursery sales and yard decoration. The saplings can grow as much as eighteen feet in a single year. Numerous tree farms have sprung up nationwide supplying various markets.

Nature's design of the leaves creates a natural pollutant inhibitor. They are large and have a fur like surface. This causes them to gather and hold smoke, dust, and smog from the air surrounding them. To this goal they are planted in mass quantities in major industrial areas in China and America.

One mature tree can produce millions of seeds that can germinate easily in moist, well drained soil. Environmentalists have some concerns that it will become uncontrolled and turn into a weed tree taking over from the natural trees in areas where there has been a fire or the land has been disturbed. These plants sprout easily on hillsides and near forests.

They are very hardy in temperate zones and a seed base has been developed for colder areas that will with stand frost and snow. One of the issues with this tree is the branches tend to break in high winds. This creates a hazard for anything underneath from falling branches and makes a mess to be taken care of around the base of the trunk.

This hardwood is very popular for furniture making and in marine industries in Japan. It has the capacity to remove large quantities of nitrates from soil and use them for growth. It helps to prevent the erosion of soil because of the extensive root system it has. The leaves are also used. They have some medicinal value in that they are very good cleansers and are reputed to help with the growth of hair and with healing skin ailments.

The royal paulownia tree shows great promise as a new source of revenue for North America. The fast growth and easy propagation has opened markets abroad as well as at home. There is already a growing export market to Japan for cut trees that will be made into furniture and toys for that nation. There are also markets in North America for live trees as well as for cut wood to be used for manufacturing and other domestic uses.




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