The genus of Paulownia unites several species of deciduous and semi-evergreen trees of the same family. Most of them are distributed in a subtropical climate, thermophilic, grows unusually quickly, stretching up to 3 m in height. Many representatives of the genus are decorative, grown as garden and park crops. The paulownia wood is also valuable - a light, wear-resistant material suitable for construction and turning works.
Botanical Description
Paulownia owes its original name to the German naturalist Philip Franz von Siebold. He discovered this tree in Japan and was the first to bring its seeds to Europe. The resulting culture was given a name in honor of the patronymic of the great Russian Princess Anna Pavlovna Romanova, Queen of the Netherlands. The choice was influenced by the unique properties of the plant.
Paulownia, it is also the imperial Adam tree, has an even straight trunk with a diameter of 30-50 cm, covered with a light gray lamellar bark. In height, it reaches 18–20 m. Lateral shoots of adult specimens form a sprawling spherical or ovoid crown. In temperate latitudes, due to frequent freezing at an early age, the trunks branch out - the trees develop in the form of thick, tall shrubs.
The root system consists of a central rod, penetrating into the depth of 4-6 m, and lateral branches.
The paulownia leaves are very large, deltoid in shape - lobed or deep-toothed, oppositely located on long petioles. The plates are bright green, dense, fibrous, the upper side is pubescent, the lower structure resembles felt. Size reaches 60–70 cm, with one sheet of paulownia you can cover a small child. They already become large in young shoots - seedlings aged 8–10 months, whose trunks do not exceed 2 cm in thickness. They are “dressed” in bright burdock foliage, giving an exotic look. In autumn, the vegetation falls green and only on the ground changes color, becoming brown.
Flowers and fruits
Paulownia flowers - decorative and fragrant - bloom in mid-spring, before foliage, and remain on the branches for 6-7 weeks. Calyx up to 5–6 cm in diameter, funnel-shaped, with the edges of five cream, lilac or purple petals bent outward and elongated stamens. The buds are collected in vertical panicle inflorescences of 7-15 pieces.
Fruits - greenish-brown ovoid bivalve capsules about 10 mm in diameter, with many small winged seeds inside.
Paulownia grows almost 6 times faster than oak. Under favorable conditions, with a sufficient level of moisture and an average annual temperature of + 10-14 ° C, the growth of a tree per year is from 2.5 to 4.5 m. Over the first 2 years of life, the sprouted seedlings turn into compact, slender, densely leafy trees.
The frost resistance of trees, depending on the species, is different: some species die even at 0 ° C, while others can tolerate cold up to –30 ° C without significant damage.
The life span of paulownia reaches 80–100 years. Among fast-growing species, this is considered almost a record.
Spread
The birthplace of most species of paulownia is China and Japan. In the Land of the Rising Sun, this tree is one of the national symbols. The imperial emblem, government stamps, award orders, medals, banknotes are decorated with the image of its flowers and leaves.
The tree is distributed in the southern Chinese provinces and in several regions of Southeast Asia: in Taiwan, Korea, Laos, Vietnam. It occurs on flat, abundantly moistened territories, not higher than 800 m above sea level.
Heat-loving species have taken root on lands with a similar climate: in the south of North America, in the Mediterranean, on the coast of Crimea, in southern Ukraine, in the Caucasus. Due to its high adaptability, individual species are grown in temperate climates.
Popular views
Common cultivated varieties of paulownia:
- Felt (Paulownia tomentoza) is the most cold-resistant species that can withstand frosts up to –25 ° C. Based on it, a hybrid is selected that can grow in central Russia. It develops very quickly, adding up to 3 m annually. Adult trees reach a height of 20 m, leaves are light green, dense, fibrous. Bloom profusely. Brushes of a pale lilac or white hue. Fruits remain on the branches until late autumn.
- Sapphire tree (Paulownia kawakamii). Kind of average frost hardiness, able to tolerate lowering temperatures to –17 ° C. It stretches up to 15–20 m in height. The leaves are deltoid, 35–45 cm in size, the crown is wide ovate, flowers are bright blue in color with a yellowish middle.
- Paulownia Fortuna. Heat-loving Chinese variety with abundant flowering. In height, the trees stretch up to 10-12 m. The leaves are soft green, large, pubescent, cream or white inflorescences with contrasting dark centers. Cultivated as a garden or home plant.
- Paulownia of Elongat. A lush tree 10–15 m high with wide crowns and pale lavender tassels. Flowering is long. The frost resistance of the species is moderate, young growth tolerates cold up to –10 ° C, adult specimens - up to –17 ° C.
- Paulownia Fargoza. A large tree with a trunk length of up to 20 m. The crowns are sprawling, dense. Leaves measuring 30–35 cm, heart-shaped, paniculate inflorescences, white or yellowish. Withstands cold up to –10 ° C and heat up to +48 ° C. Drought tolerant species.
Application
Large fibrous leaves of paulownia emit a large amount of oxygen into the atmosphere, and the plant surpasses all known deciduous trees in terms of cleansing qualities. Landing an area of 10 hectares per year absorbs almost 300 tons of carbon dioxide and traps 1000 tons of dust. The root system, penetrating deep into the soil, prevents its erosion and weathering. Together with decorativeness, this makes paulownia a suitable tree for landscaping gardens, squares, city parks and streets. Species resistant to prolonged frosts are grown in the middle zone, replacing weaker and longer growing rocks. With their help create windproof landings, protecting large areas of land from erosion.
Paulownia wood is a business species and is valued for its lightness, moisture resistance and resistance to fungal damage.. This is an equally dense homogeneous material with a matte grayish-yellow surface, practically having no silliness in the structure. One cubic meter of this wood weighs about 250 kg. Paulownia is twice as light as pine, but far surpasses it in technical characteristics. It does not warp, does not crack, almost does not rot, is easily processed by various types of tools and holds fasteners.
Adam's tree is used in shipbuilding, production of sports equipment and musical instruments: light parts of boats, yachts, surfboards, skis, and snowboards are made of it. From low-grade billets, pallets, packaging boxes are collected, used as raw materials for cellulose, paper, bioethanol, charcoal. The quality array goes to the production of flooring, furniture, decoration panels. The wood contains many tannins and silica - compounds that have an antimicrobial effect. This makes the material suitable for cladding baths and saunas. The paulownia finish provides a high noise and heat insulating effect.
Flowers, leaves, fruit shell and tree bark are used in folk medicine and cosmetics. Their extract is part of natural preparations to improve hair growth, skin care, treatment of dermatological diseases and rheumatism.
The leaf mass of the culture contains valuable proteins and a large amount of carbohydrates. It is superior in nutrition to alfalfa, legumes and other plants used for feeding farm animals.
Landing
To grow paulownia, it is necessary to choose even, well-lit and protected from strong winds areas away from fruit trees. The soil can be slightly alkaline to acidified. Black soil, sandy loamy soils and loose loam are well suited. It is undesirable to plant trees in heavy clay.
For open plantings, seedlings of a year old are recommended: they are quite resistant to weather changes. Work is carried out from April to October. Pits are prepared about 1 m deep and 60–70 cm wide. At the bottom put a drainage layer of 20 cm of fine gravel. Leafy humus, rotted manure and 40 g of complex mineral fertilizer are added to the excavated soil. When planting next to a tree, a high peg is strengthened, to which a fragile trunk is tied. Seedlings are watered immediately and plentifully, spending 20 liters of water per 1 specimen.
If you want to grow paulownia from seeds, you need to check them for germination by soaking in water. Pop-up - remove, and place the sunken ones on a damp cloth and cover with a film. Every day, the material needs to be watered a little, contain seedlings at + 22–25 ° C. After 2 weeks, the first sprouts will appear. During this period, a napkin with seeds is placed in a container with a nutrient mixture of peat, leaf and sod soil. From above they are only dusted with earth with a layer of 2-3 mm. Before the appearance of a strong shoot, the material is kept in greenhouse conditions, lighting daily. The grown seedlings are transferred to the open ground after a year.
Care
It’s easy to take care of the Adam tree. Despite the subtropical origin, it adapts to almost any environmental conditions, tolerates drought, extreme heat, unpretentious. The main thing that an exot needs is: regular hydration and protection from extreme cold.
Watering young shoots should be weekly throughout the growing season, pouring 10 liters of water at a time under the root of one plant. At the age of 3, the root system of trees grows quite deeply, and they no longer need additional moisture. Watering adult specimens is recommended only in prolonged drought. Barrel circles must be freed from weeds and gently loosen the soil to a depth of 5-7 cm.
You need to feed seedlings 1-2 times a season, combining mineral compounds and organic fertilizers: humus, compost, bird droppings, and mullein. They are brought in liquid form, combining with watering.
Trees tolerate pruning well, recovering quickly after removing most of the crown. Frozen shoots in winter should be removed immediately with the onset of heat, before the appearance of the first green.
Diseases and Pests
Young shoots are often affected by fungi. Diseases can develop due to the presence of a large number of spores in the soil or improper wetting. Succulent foliage becomes the prey of scale insects or aphids. Parasite control methods are traditional. Crones should be regularly treated with insecticides, fungicides or natural products based on soap, ash or tobacco dust. Heavily damaged areas of shoots are recommended to be cut and destroyed.
Breeding
In addition to the seed method, paulownia can be propagated vegetatively: by cuttings or root offspring. In the first case, the material is prepared in spring or summer. Take the middle part of the shoots of 2-3-year-old trees. Cuttings must be at least 15 cm long. They are placed almost entirely in the soil or sand-peat mixture, leaving 2-3 cm outside. Before new shoots appear, the material is kept in the greenhouse. When the length of young shoots reaches 10 cm, leave the strongest of them, and the rest cut off.
Root appendages that appear in adult plants are cut off in the spring. They develop with careful observance of the conditions of care: planting in suitable soil, proper watering and protection from the wind.