HANDnooK OF Trkks of the Nortilkkn States and Can. 



411 



The Paulownia is a beautiful tree, intro- 

 duced into this country from China and Japan 

 for ornamental purposes, and has become thor- 

 oughly naturalized in localities, where the 

 climate is not too severe. It is wide-spreading 

 in habit of growth, its short thick trunk, some- 

 times 2-3 ft. in diameter, usually dividing 

 within a few feet from the ground into few 

 large branches, which form a wide and often 

 flat-topped open head, if there is sullicient room 

 for lateral development. 



It is a remarkable tree at all seasons of the 

 year. When leaHess, in winter, it bears lai-ge 

 upright clusters of naked llower-buds, which 

 developed the pre\ ions season to open early 

 in the following spring, with the unfolding of 

 the velvety young leaves, and then become sd 

 many beautiful pyramids of long blue flowers. 

 I'hese are delightfully fragrant, and the whole 

 atmosphere for some distance from the tree is 

 redolent with their perfume; but, alas! their 

 duration is far too short, and the ground 

 within only a day or two is strewn with their 

 withering corollas. In summer the tree is at- 

 tractive on account of its big heart-shapad 

 leaves, which cast an abundance of shade. 

 After these fall, in the autumn, the clusters of 

 fruit-pods, suggestive of so many miniature 

 bishop's miters, open and liberate to the winds 

 innumerable small filmy-winged seeds. The 

 clusters of empty blackened pods then persist 

 and rattle on tlie le.ifless branches during the 

 following winter or longer, when they detract 

 somewhat from tlic ornamental value of ihe 

 tree unless removed. Sncli is tlie yearly pro- 

 gram of the Paulownia in climates south of 

 .nbout the latitude (.f New York City, which 

 limits tlie boundary of its naturalization. 

 Farther north its flower-buds usually winter- 

 kill, but it can be and often is grown as an 

 ornamental foliage jjlant as far north as 

 Montreal. For this use it is generally cut 

 back to tlie ground every year, excepting a 

 single shoot, and this ]iuts out greit lea\es a 

 foot or two across, and sonictinies attains a 

 height of 10 to 12 .ft. or more in a single 

 season, presenting a peculiarly tropical ap 

 pearance. 



The wood of the Pauh.wiiia is soft, light. 

 easily worked, yielding a satiny snrfic;., and 

 of a purple brown colfjr with thin sajiwood. 

 It is highly valued in Oriental countries.- 



1. &iu. raulownia impirialia S. & Z. 



2. A. W., XII, 288. 



.*?. For genus see p. 457. 



