Paulownia tomentosa
Specifications
Family
Paulowniaceae
Species
Paulownia tomentosa (Thunb.) Steud.
princess tree
empress tree
royal paulownia
foxglove tree
Description
The sapwood is yellowish and the heartwood is brownish, sometimes with purplish hues, shiny, with a coarse texture, straight grain and a density of around 0.30. Mechanical strength is poor and durability is very low.
Plant morphology
It is a deciduous tree up to 20 m tall, with a broad, rounded-oval crown and an erect, sinuous trunk with ascending, opposite branches. The bark is thin, light brown in young specimens, blackish brown when mature. The young twigs, with a thick, fragile pith, are covered with large lenticels. The large leaves are simple, heart-shaped with three slightly incised lobes. The scented flowers are up to 6 cm long and bloom before the leaves in erect, pyramidal panicles up to 30 cm long. The corolla is cerulean blue or lilac, radiating with yellow, and tubular-bell-shaped.
Natural occurrence
Countries of origin and distribution
East Asia: China and Japan; cultivated in Europe and the United States. Naturalized in Italy.
Habitat and ecology
Pioneer species, which grows mainly in mixed broadleaf forests, but also in cracks in walls or on rubble.
Uses
Application areas
It is used for veneers, light carpentry, and cabinetry. Its use is expanding.
Technical data
Aesthetic characteristics
Grain
Obvious
Texture
Coarse
Physical and mechanical properties
Density
ρ
ρ
280
kg/m3
Radial shrinkage
Rad. sh.
Rad. sh.
24
MPa
Tangential shrinkage
Tang. sh.
Tang. sh.
39
MPa
Bending strength
M.O.R.
M.O.R.
38
MPa
Modulus of Elasticity
M.O.E.
M.O.E.
4380
MPa
Durability characteristics
Fungal resistance
Not durable
Insect resistance
Not resistant
Miscellaneous
It takes a lot of effort to catch fire. In Italy, there is an active network that organizes the cultivation and production of paulownia timber, following the entire supply chain from planting the seedlings to marketing the wood. This network involves farmers, nursery gardeners, and researchers, with the goal of developing a national supply chain.