Hello I was on my way to Cultus lake today driving through Yarrow. We spotted a tree in a yard. Nobody home and all behind a fence. It was about 30' tall. Smooth grey bark with a slight green tinge to it. The branches started about 8' up the trunk. The branches grew out at about a 45 degree angle then curved almost upright. No leave but at the end of each branch was a growth of flowers in a very cylindrical shape about 18" long by 6" wide. Kind of trumpet shaped flowers and a light to medium mauve in colour. The flower group looked much like the way Stock flowers grow in a bunch. Didn't have my camera or cellphone with me so no pictures. Many thanks. Ken
Thanks for the reply but no luck. The small flowers are in tight bunches like stocks flowers in this picture although the bunches are much much larger than Stock flowers. Compare to this image. Ken
Ok....I think I found it....it looks very much like it's a Royal Empress Tree. Although the flowers are much more mauve on the tree I saw. It also had less spread but I understand these trees are incredibly fast growers. Royal Empress tree Ken
Yes, it would have been a Paulownia. I grow three species here, although only the example of the common P. tomentosa has been a success.
FaxCap, are these your own photos? If they're not, please replace them with links - the UBC has a fairly strict policy on copyright infringement.... I'd agree with Ron, though - Paulownia tomentosa is your tree.
Yipe.....no, they are just from a Google search. When I hit Edit I don't see where I can delete the images. Ken
Thanks - I've gotten the one where you left no link. Usually at the bottom of your "go advanced" edit option you'll find the means of removing images.
Thanks....a member sent me a PM about the Advanced feature. I haven't used this type of BBS before. If I had the room for a Paulownia tomentosa I would give it a try. After more reading I understand they aren't as invasive here as the seeds have trouble germinating. I also understand there is an old one growing in front of the CN Rail station in Vancouver. Thanks to all Ken
Those spontaneous examples that I have seen in this area have all been growing among rocks. A number of them also came up in a bed across the street once, but the property is on a regularly used automatic irrigation system. Our dry summers would be why so many woody plants from eastern Asia and other places with rainy summers do not become major pests - but are such in eastern North America, with its similar climates to the homeland(s).
Hi Ron So if they are grown in an area where there is only "natural" irrigation the chances are much lower they will spread? I live in White Rock, BC not "that" far from Edmunds, WA. I'm in a bareland strata. We have a meadow in the centre of the complex. The old birch trees were "pruned" back by a non-arborist. They quite simply butchered them. We have talked about taking them down as they now present a problem for falling on some of the houses. There is no irrigation in the meadow. We have talked about what type of trees we could replace the birch trees with. A Paulownia tomentosa might be a nice specimen tree. Ken
There are 2? 3? in bloom right now on the edge of the Botanical Garden parking lot (several weeks later than normal)
Paulownia tomentosa - Royal Empress tree Spotted for sale at Devan Greenhouses on Fraser Highway, Abbotsford. I'm not sure how big they were when Devan got them but 2 of them are at least 7' to 8' high already. Ken
