Sometimes come up here in this otherwise unsuitable (annual summer drought) climate among stones and in other places where the soil is protected from summer drought. So it seems anywhere the soil does not get too dry in summer or the winter does not kill the flower buds this tree will try to reproduce itself. In nature paulownias are pioneer trees that come up in disturbed places and develop rapidly, like alders, birches, cherries or poplars.

Man, you are good Resin. I don't know how you do it. Thanks so much for the help. Ryan

Virtually ALL hydrangea "trees" are some sort of paniculata, but the cultivars can vary. Macrophyllas and other 'old wood' varieties do not lend themselves to the routine pruning these need and they also are extremely difficult to train into a single, clear trunk. And Annabelles and other arborescens just produce too large an inflorescence on too weak of a stem to make a good standard. But......having said that, I've never seen any cultivar of paniculata that produced flowers in that manner......or any other hydrangea species for that matter. I'd be somewhat suspect of this plant -- not that it isn't a hydrangea (definitely is) but that there may be something else amiss with it. Perhaps a virus. Or maybe just stressed from hanging out at HD without proper attention :-) I'd wait and see. Regardless, you'll still be within their gauranty period if you confirm next season that all is not well. And jean's right....give that puppy a good drink!!

This is the fruit of a screw pine (pandanus utilis). Looks similar to a palm with stilt roots. Unfortunately, the seeds take a long time to germinate, about 6 months or more. You would have better luck looking for seedlings beneath the tree.