Royal Empress Tree in West Texas
justinmoos
8 years ago
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Empress Trees
Comments (17)gardengal, I've come to the conclusion you can't answer the question as to what part of zone 7 doesn't have the potential for paulownia to become invasive. Anyone who's seen a colony of paulownias before knows beside seed, they spread far and wide by roots and root suckers. They have the potential to be invasive anywhere that they grow- practically anywhere that is, where they can grow on their own without irrigation or support from humans and where they aren't kept under control by humans or abiotic factors. Rather than hurl insults at me and tell me I live a sheltered life or have a lack of knowledge, why don't you correct me where I'm wrong with actual facts. Sort of like the way I'm correcting you where you are wrong, without insulting you. You can start by answering the question, what part of zone 7, do paulownias not have the potential to become invasive? I have read and re-read your replies to this thread and forgive me for being so stupid but I can't seem to find where you've answered this question. Do I need to be wearing special goggles to see it? It's OK to not have the answer. It's OK to contribute an unhelpful reply. It's NOT OK to be insulting. If you care to reply, please bear in mind that I do have feelings....See MoreRoyal Paulownia trees
Comments (33)Invasiveness is ALWAYS depedent on location. What is invasive in one area may very well not be in another, depending on climate, growing season, rainfall amount, winter cold, etc. There are very few plants that are considered invasive uniformly across the country. And this can be expanded to include the argument that it is "only just a matter of time". No, not necessarily :-) Some plants will simply not flourish in any given area because acceptable cultural conditions are not present for them to do so. To my knowledge, Paulownia is not considered invasive anywhere west of the Rockies. The OP should have no concerns about any potential invasive threat in SoCal simply because the cultural conditions are not strongly to that plant's liking. These trees are fairly commonly grown here in the PNW without issue. And even if they did seed a bit, which I have never seen to occur, an argument could be made against its being invasive here, as according to fossil records, Paulownia used to grow here naturally so technically a native :-)) FWIW, many of the plant species that are considered serious invasive problems on the east coast pose little to no invasive threat on the west coast....See MoreAdvice on Royal Empress Tree
Comments (210)I've told this story several times since the first time in 2012 or so. I had two ancient Paulownia tomentosas removed from the front yard of our new house in May of '07- before we even moved in. I felt terrible that our new neighbor's first impressions of us were as tree killers, but it simply had to be done! As much as I hate killing a tree, I am not a criminal. The criminal is the IDIOT THAT PLANTED the damned things. I had the roots ground out as deep as the largest grinder would go. The roots shoots that came up that year were horrendous- one every foot covering the entire yard. It was literally a daily chore to keep up with them- you'd cut them all then the next morning there would be another hundred of them 2 inches tall. They came up again equally as bad in '08, all spring and summer. In '09 they slowed down a bit on my property but began seeking new areas as I saw them in neighbor yards as well- not only on the adjoining properties but across the street. Spring and summer of '10- three full years since I had the trees taken out- and I still got shoots. THREE YEARS! They slowed down considerably but I still had to cut down one or two every couple of days. They are impossible to pull. They are one tenacious tree. AND... I cut more root shoots in the spring of '11!!! Four. Full. Years. After the trees were removed. This tree is the devil!!! This is the very first year I have not seen one- five full years of diligently patrolling the yard with scissors to cut root shoots. In a way you're gotta respect that degree of the will to live!...See MoreIs this a Purple Empress (Paulownia)?
Comments (27)There are numerous reasons not to plant a flowering pear. They are short lived and weak wooded. This may not seem like something to be concerned about NOW but they in fact do grow rapidly, not slowly, and in a matter of years, not decades, you will be taking bids from tree services to remove it/them or parts of it/them. There are people who have reported branches of these falling on persons or property leading to injury and expensive damages. Again, doesn't seem like a concern now but it will be at some point. The last thing you want is a whole bunch of these lining your driveway. Particularly in areas that get wind or ice. In my area, they leaf out during late winter which makes them prone to wind damage during our spring thrunderstorms. These pears are also an invasive species in much of the country meaning they have escaped home gardens and started taking over natural areas, displacing native plants. They may not be an invasive species where you live but just by purchasing one, you are supporting a grower who will in turn grow more and more and ship them to areas where they are a problem. When in bloom the flowers smell very bad. As the trees mature the offensive odor drifts. These trees are no longer used by tree enthusiasts or experienced landscapers or urban foresters for these reasons. So don't buy one at a garden center or anywhere else for that matter. Do yourself a favor and cut down the one you have before it turns into an expensive problem. Flowering pears are a waste of money, a waste of time, and a waste of space. Rather than planting a tree that will self destruct in 5 years, plant a tree that will still there in 100 years. Something that will truly add value to not only your home but to the environment as well. Long lived trees don't usually have the prettiest flowers but that what flowering shrubs are for....See Morescotjute Z8
8 years agoMike McGarvey
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agojustinmoos
8 years agoToronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
8 years agoscotjute Z8
8 years agoMarie Tulin
8 years ago
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)