|
|
Post by nick123 on Nov 5, 2011 12:14:06 GMT -5
Hi, could any one please tell me about Paulownia tree. I was reading on wikipedia that this tree grows upto 20 feet in a couple of months only? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia |
|
greltam
grub
Everything IS a conspiracy :]
Posts: 59
|
Post by greltam on Nov 5, 2011 13:02:04 GMT -5
I'm interested too, for coppicing/sustainable firewood. I heard they have hollow branches. I bought some seed last year but didn't get a chance to plant it yet. Not sure if they'll still be viable..
|
|
|
|
Post by atash on Nov 5, 2011 17:26:34 GMT -5
They are common in the Pacific Northwest where I live.
20 feet a year does not sound like a reasonable expectation unless maybe in hot, humid climates on good soil. More likely, if you coppice them, then yes the shoots grow very fast, but this is not unusual. Put a huge root system under a stump full of buds, and the soft shoots grow very fast.
They are often coppiced to preserve their juvenile leaves, which are gigantic (even mature, the leaves aren't exactly small). They are in the same family as Catalpa (Bignoniaceae) but "even more so" in terms of big leaves and gaudy flowers. Unfortunately, the flowers show up before the leaves. I think they'd look better in front of a leafy background. Overall they look somewhat "tropical".
The flowers are quite large and purple. They're shaped vaguely like the flowers of Foxgloves.
I don't know about hollow branches, never having cut one open, but the wood is quite lightweight, unusual for a fairly coldhardy hardwood.
In Japan (maybe Korea too?) there is a custom of planting one when a baby girl is born, to make her hope chest out of. There is still some demand for Paulownia wood and there have been cases of trees going missing.
|
|
|
|
Post by MikeH on Nov 5, 2011 18:49:31 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by atash on Nov 5, 2011 20:54:58 GMT -5
OK, different species I'm not familiar with. Paulownia tomentosa is "ours". Looks like this one is grown specifically to produce timber. P. tomentosa also "timber" but for specific ceremonial purposes...plus it's ornamental.
|
|
|
|
Post by atash on Nov 5, 2011 20:58:37 GMT -5
Not fond of hybrid poplars. The wood is VERY soft, porous, and course-grained. Someone recommended planting them here, all over the place, destroying huge amounts of farmland for a tree there is little market for at the moment. I don't know what they used it for elsewhere, but here it showed up as fake wood interior trim, that warps in our humidity. I've also seed wooden implements--like wood spoons for cooking--that also warp badly.
Removing the stumps is very expensive.
|
|
|
|
Post by blueadzuki on Nov 5, 2011 23:56:40 GMT -5
Or neigborhood had a MASSIVE Paulownia which was so gnarled that the neighbors put thier kids tree house in it. That one was alas taken down when an extra house was put onto the lot (though, as a tree at street side, it was supposed to be specifically prohibited from removal). We have one of it's progeny in our back yard; descended (presumably) from one of it's seeds (we in fact had four of such trees, but three of then formed in places where they could not be allowed to reach mature size (one in a crack in our house by the patio, two in our chimmney.) we keep the fact we have it pretty quiet, some people around here consider Paulownia's to be weed trees, and we are unsure if we will be allowed to plant the one we have in the ground.
BTW: for what it's worth, I think the trade name for Paulownia wood is "riki"
|
|
|
|
Post by oxbowfarm on Nov 6, 2011 3:32:23 GMT -5
I very much like the hybrid poplars myself. I doubt I'd use the wood as interior decorative trim or anything but it shows a lot of promise as a sustainable biomass producer for firewood and biochar production. With Emerald Ash Borer one county away "officially" I'm pretty sure our ash is done for within a couple years, then we've got Sudden Oak Death, Asian Longhorned Beetle, Hemlock Wooly adelgid, and Beech Canker. Not sure what I'm going to have in the woods in a few years.
|
|
|
|
Post by 12540dumont on Nov 6, 2011 11:13:45 GMT -5
I have a Tomentosa. It did not grow 20 feet a year. It did grow about 5 feet a year. The only issue that I have with it is that the massive seed drop restarts it's own trees. Also, if you till a root, it will start a new tree. In the photo, you can see the blossoms (on left). They are striking, but the seed pods are even more so. Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by canadamike on Nov 9, 2011 12:15:34 GMT -5
The post mentioning your company has been removed. I let the question on pawlinia there because it is a valid one and I cannot see any harm in it.
Hoping it is to your satisfaction
Michel
|
|
|
|
Post by DarJones on Nov 9, 2011 15:06:37 GMT -5
Paulownia Tomentosa is an invasive - but valuable - species brought over from Asia nearly 200 years ago. The wood is soft but durable and valued in Japan and China for use in making musical instruments, etc. Growth is typically 4 to 20 feet per year depending on soil and moisture availability. It is adapted to a temperate climate. I know of a guy who bought 140 acres of land in Mississippi and had the timber valued. He found that there were about 200 mature paulownia trees which were worth more than he paid for the land. In parts of Tennessee, theft of Paulownia is a major problem. a few men can go into the woods with a crosscut saw and nylon straps, cut a tree and haul the butt log out with the straps. For a high value tree, they can easily make $1500 to $3000 for an afternoon's work. The variety that grows much faster is Paulownia Fortunei which has been over hyped in Australia for roughly 20 years now. It has been sold as pre-planted plots from which the supposed owner will reap riches in as little as 10 years. Take it with a grain of salt, it has been a money pit for everyone except the guys planting and selling the plots. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PaulowniaDarJones |
|
|
|
Post by ecotechtimber on Nov 10, 2011 9:25:57 GMT -5
Dear Board:
Paulownia can certainly grow to a height of 20 feet and more in the first year and not only in the tropics. As with any agricultural/tree based crop, growth and annual biomass accumulation is contingent on site specific variables and management thereof. Be cautious with information you read on-line with regards to Paulownia as there are many false claims out there that will mislead you. Growing Paulownia can be rewarding, but it requires technical knowledge and good growing stock. Not only are there different species with varied performance under site-specific conditions, there are also improved varieties of the same species that also perform differently.
Before getting into Paulownia, consult with an expert and make sure any data you may come across is clearly supported by scientific research and not merely false claims by people simply trying to make money. Unlike what these "snake oil salesmen" will tell you, Paulownia is not the silver bullet for all that ails and careful consideration of many factors must be cogitated before venturing into a Paulownia based business.
With that said, with the right knowledge and proper growing stock, Paulownia can impart many benefits that other tree species cannot. It can be a fun and rewarding activity and provide the land on which it grows additional benefits. As with anything, be smart, check your facts, and then get started...
Best of luck to those taking the leap!
Kind regards,
Will
EcoTech Timber
|
|
