Paulownia elongata

A tree with beautiful, bee-friendly flowers, Paulownia elongata is a large, vigorous, exceptionally fast growing, deciduous tree with an upright habit and a rounded, open crown when young, later flat-topped. This is a tree for parkland, as older branches become hollow, and can fall in storms. The bark is grey-brown, and twigs are reddish-brown. The oval, pointed leaves are bright, light green, with felted undersides. In May, the tree carries conspicuous spires of pale violet, rather foxglove-like flowers with yellow throats, which are very attractive to bees. These are followed by capsule-like fruits which persist for a long time. Can also be stooled and grown as a multi stem tree.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: Any well-drained soil
Position: Full sun, partial or dappled shade
Season of interest: Spring to autumn, late spring in particular
Hardiness: Fully hardy to -10ºC
Height: 40 (12m) Spread: often taller