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Grittyville, WA

https://www.tellerreport.com/life/2021-07-24-it-s-in-your-nature---paulownia--the-co2-hungry-tree.SJ8XYx7c0d.html

Interestingly, wind turbines use a lot of wood, specifically balsa wood, maybe this temperate climate tree could be used to help make the balsa industry more sustainable. Its clearly the next best thing to balsa for being lightweight and strong.

Uniquely, they are C4 plants, like corn, so they have an edge on sucking up C02. There was a hybrid poplar tree planting fad here in Washington, which has gone away, I wonder why there has not been a Paulownia (Empress Tree) fad. This article makes them sound better than poplars.

2/28/2022 4:16:13 AM

Bethlehem CT

Hey Gritty. Interesting article. Sometimes the messages we are getting are so mixed up and confusing people don't know what to think or do.
This is a good example of that. The Empress treee has a really bad name here on the east coast.(probably on the west coast too)
In many states it is on the invasive species list and you would be committing an eco-sin if you were caught planting one. In the mid atlantic states you can see it along highways and roadsides as it has escaped cultivation.
It will grow here in CT but I have not personally witnessed it behave as a weedy species along highways and roadsides...Yet. However, it is still on my states invasive species list. These are laws passed by our politicians and they have very little clue about horticulture. Caving to the whims of the angry fearful masses. In the olden times we had witch hunts for people and now we do them for plants. In most of the cases the cat has already been let out of the bag and their is very little that can be done. Trying to contain these species is like trying to catch the wind.
A blooming Paulownia in bloom is very beautiful. A young tree looks like a giant sunflower and can grow incredibly fast like ten feet a year for the first couple years.

2/28/2022 9:38:56 AM

Bethlehem CT

The Paulownia wood is very highly prized in parts of Asia and they will pay top dollar for it.

https://paulowniatrees.org/

2/28/2022 9:41:46 AM

Bethlehem CT

One last rant, I am know expert on national politics or any other governmental policies because I am not deeply interested in them. I am also hesitant to speak freely about such issues as I don't want to be cancelled hated or maybe even lose my job because of my views... But Perhaps I can still speak about plants and not be labelled singled or cancelled because I am on the wrong team.
My love is horticulture and it is clear to me how inept the government has been in the field that I am passionate about.
To highlight what I am talking about
Lets stick with the example of invasive plants.
Kudzu, was introduced and promoted by the federal government, as a knee jerk response to the dust bowl
Multiflora rose, also promoted by the federal government to foster wildlife.
Now people are spending countless hours and dollars and gallons of pesticides to try and contain these plants, and being told now that, that is the right thing to do.
It doesn't make any sense. What other programs have done more harm than good? We start doing one thing and then try to erase the consequences. But many times it can't be undone and should be managed with more thought.

2/28/2022 10:00:32 AM

Grittyville, WA

Government weed eradication... The people who want non-natives out of north America... are mostly of European stock. I'd like to see them cram themselves back into Europe... Hypocrites! A long, long time ago, Paulownia did grow in North America as shown by fossils, near where I live. So it's all good :)

2/28/2022 10:28:20 AM