not catalpa, paulownia - or maybe not
dear friends, i am confused.shortly after my first mention of catalpa treesc (atalpa speciosa), i did a little research for us in preparation for my catalpa post. at that time, i became convinced that i was mistaken in believing that the trees i have been admiring recently were catalpa trees. so i got frustrated and gave up.
so, today, when i read emily's post and david's comment on my blog, i decided i could wait no longer to figure out what the heck kind of trees those are. so i googled "tree with wisteria-like blooms" (which is how i would describe the tree's blooms) and hit links to a gardening web about paulownia trees. after reading the string of questions and answers relating to paulownia trees and googling "paulownia tree" i decided that the trees that i am currently seeing in bloom around our little 'ville and its environs must be paulownia trees.
but then, ever curious as i am, i decided that i needed to learn about catalpa trees too. so i googled catalpa tree in google images and discovered images of catalpa blooms which resemble closely the blooms of the paulownia tree. holy cow, i don't even know what to make of all this information. which is it, catalpa or paulownia.
the paulownia tree (paulownia tomentosa) must be rather prolific in spain as most of the sites are in spanish, there are two in english - this one, which has no photos, and this fascinating website from an australian paulownia farm. david, did you know that paulownias are harvested for timber (the wood is prized in japan) and used for honey making (this page has photos of the beautiful paulownia flower clusters which are undoubtedly attractive to friendly bumble bees)?
apparently others at the southeast exotic pest control council have noticed the same similarities. the author writes "Paulownia belongs to the Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) family, which in North America is otherwise composed of herbaceous species. It resembles the native catalpa tree (Catalpa speciosa [Warder ex Barney]) in size, leaf and flower structure. Notable differences are found in pith, leaves, and seed pods. Paulownia has a hollowed or chambered pith, while that of the catalpa is solid and whitish. Catalpa leaves are whorled and more distinctly pointed at the tip than paulownia leaves, which are not whorled and have a less elongated tip. Catalpa fruits are long, slender pods measuring 20-46 cm (8-18 in). Fruits of the princess tree measure only 3-8 mm (1.5 in) and appear in clusters of round capsules. Catalpa flowers have a two-lipped calyx and appear on the current year's growth; paulownia has a five-lobed calyx and flowers on the second year's growth."
the author goes on to say, "Paulownia trees are often found on roadsides, stream banks, and disturbed habitats, including fire sites, forests defoliated by pests (such as gypsy moths) and landslides. Its ability to sprout prolifically from adventitious buds on stems and roots allows it to survive fire, cutting, and even bulldozing in construction areas. Paulownia can also colonize rocky cliffs and scoured riparian zones where it may compete with rare plants in these marginal habitats. It tolerates high soil acidity, drought, and low soil fertility."
this leads me to believe that our trees might actually be paulownias, as they are most commonly seen along the highways here in central va. but to be quite honest, my head is spinning from trying to sort this out. i think i might have to don my sun bonnet and venture into the field!
posted by bls @ 10:54 AM
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