Paulownia tomentosa - Empress or Foxglove Tree

Here we have Paulownia tomentosa, a beast of the foliage world, and also known as the foxglove tree. This mighty tree gets that name from the flowers it can produce when allowed to form into a full sized tree in milder parts of the country. Not for the faint hearted, this large majestic tree will make a magnificent specimen, but must be afforded plenty of space.

If you have less room however, how about growing it for the tropical foliage alone? Simply coppice the stems to the ground every spring, taking a saw and pruning each main stem to 30-40cm long. You'll then be rewarded with strong rapid growth that by the end of the summer can easily reach over 3 metres and have magnificent giant leaves that are over 50cm across.

Paulownias are deciduous and extremely hardy, but do need a sunny position - one of the ultimate plants to have on your list for a jungle style garden.

Supplied in approx. 2-3 litre nursery containers.