Southerngal, I may not be able to help you with your planting seeds, but for those of you that are speaking of invasive qualities, I have had a wonderful experience with a hybrid species of Empress called the Empress Splendor. It has the amazing growth rate of the Tomentosa but does not share the invasive attributes. I purchased them at www.worldtreetech.com and they have been growing amazing for me ever since. You may want to have a look; it is much easier than seeds! Let me know if you have anymore questions!

Don't plant a Magnolia if you're worried about mess. Someone planted one 50 years ago next to our pool. It is absolutely beautiful and give great shade to the south side of the house, BUT it is very, very messy. The large leaves drop all year, heaviest in the spring, and they take years to decompose. In the summer the beautiful flowers drop bud sheaths and then petals. Later in fall, heavy cones drop and bring tons of squirrels who pull them apart after the seeds and leave a mess everywhere. Plus the cones are kinda spiky, painful if you accidentally step on one, plus a tripping hazard. So yes, a beautiful majestic tree...for the outer edges of a property, not near a patio. You have been warned, lol. The Africarpus gracilior is a pretty good choice, they do get huge with age, but are fast and pretty clean, and handle heat and soil compaction well. Josue Diaz's suggestion of Brachychiton populneus is a good choice too, lovely tree, too tender for where I am, but should do great for you. Stan's suggestion of a Tristaniopsis laurina is a good one too, but pretty slow growing. If you want shade soon, I'd get the largest one you can find. It will be expensive, but save you several years waiting. I love Ficus microcarpa (Indian Laurel)! Beautiful tree, gorgeous white smooth trunk! I just got back from visiting my daughter in San Luis Obispo and the downtown streets are lined with them and they're very majestic. Do be aware that they can get very large buttress roots with age, but if you give them lots of root room near the patio, but not right next to or in the patio, they should be fine.

Here are three possibilities: Amelanchier canadensis Magnolia virginiana Sassafras albidum Sounds like a challenge. My mother is 81, loves impatiens and generally anything tidy and floriferous, just can't really see the beauty in most native plants. I suspect she would be rather defensive if I ever said that such-and-such a tree is invasive. It's like saying "the approach to gardening you've had your whole life has been wrong". However, it might help to tell your client that Paulownia tomentosa is listed as a "severe threat" by the South Carolina Exotic Pest Council: http://www.se-eppc.org/southcarolina/SCEPPC_LIST2014finalOct.pdf They have a specific page for Paulownia that you could perhaps print to help make your point: http://www.se-eppc.org/southcarolina/Publications/PauloniaTomentosaArticleSCNLA.pdf Mimosa, Albizia julibrissin, is also on the SCEPC invasive list, although it's one category down: "significant threat".

Adam, Paulownia tomentosa is an extremely poor choice for many reasons, one of which is the plants potential to damage the environment. I cannot imagine any "landscape approval Nazis", as you call them, allowing this plant to be added to any community landscape. Some alternatives, suggested by the South Carolina Native Plant Society, are Asimina triloba (Pawpaw), Magnolia acuminata (Cucumber tree), Magnolia macrophylla (Big leaf magnolia), Tilia americana (Basswood), and Catalpa bignonioides (Southern catalpa).