344 Pauloimia Itnperialis. 



growing with a strong, erect stem, and forming a large, bushv 

 head. As soon as winter approached, it lost all its leaves it 

 once, like the Catalpa, without their becoming withered * but 

 it regained them early in the following spring, and grew so 

 rapidly, that in July, 1840, it was nearly twelve feet high. It 

 was then growing vigorously, and had a profusion of fine 

 large leaves, which cast a refreshing shade. M.Neumann pro- 

 tected it for several winters with mats, but he afterwards 

 found it quite hardy; and in the winter of 1838-9, when the 

 thermometer was below zero, it did not lose even the tips of 

 its branches. Some of its leaves measured fifteen inches in 

 breadth, by eighteen in length. 



This plant is called Kiri by the Japanese, and Too, or 

 Haktoo, by the Chinese ; and it was named Paulownia imueri- 

 alts by Dr. Sieboldt, in honor of the hereditary Princess of the 

 Netherlands, who was one of the daughters of the Emperor of 

 Russia. It will grow in any common garden soil that is toler- 

 ably dry, and somewhat loamy : but in moist, peaty soil, the 

 leaves turn yellow, and fall off. It strikes readily from cut- 

 tings, and it may also be propagated by division of the roots. 



Our American authority states that " the Paulownia was 

 introduced into this country about five years ago. It is per- 

 fectly hardy in this latitude (that of New-York) ; the height to 

 which it will attain here, is, of course, not known to me ; but 

 I presume it will be a similar tree, in that respect, to the Ca- 

 talpa, which it much resembles. It flowers at the end of May, 

 and beginning of June. The flowers are of a bluish lilac co- 

 lor, sweet scented, and in form and size like Fox-glove. My 

 tree was four years old, and was covered with flowers this 

 spring (1847) for the first time. Trees now sell for from fifty 

 cents to two dollars each, from four to twelve feet high. 



