EMPRESS TREE

186 Avon Rd.

Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa)

Paulownia tomentosa, with common names empress tree, princess tree, or foxglove tree, is a deciduous tree in the family Paulowniaceae, native to central and western China. It is an extremely fast-growing tree with seeds that disperse readily, and is a persistent exotic introduced species in North America, where it has undergone naturalization in large areas of the Eastern U.S. Paulownia tomentosa has also been introduced to Western and Central Europe, and is establishing itself as a naturalized species there as well. The generic name Paulownia honor Anna Pavlovna of Russia, a queen consort of the Netherlands from 1840-1849. The species name tomentosa is a Latin word meaning “covered in hairs.”