Everything You Need to Know:
Paulownia tomentosa, the magnificent Foxglove Tree.
Family Paulownaiceae. Originating from China and Korea.
Received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
- Grown as a spectacular foliage plant or a majestic flowering tree, this species has a true wow factor.
- Downy, heart-shaped leaves can achieve staggering proportions of up to 90cm wide; its violet flowers are unique amongst plants we can grow in the UK.
- Easy to grow, vigorous, hardy, and adaptable to all styles, it is a rewarding addition to any garden.
Paulownia tomentosa In Your Garden
The only blue-flowered tree we can grow in the UK! Majestic and fast-growing, it forms an unmistakably lush crown of foliage and an equally unforgettable flowering display. It is also incredibly versatile; grow it as a large, spectacular foliage shrub or a medium-sized tree. Alternatively, mature trees, grown naturally, form large, stately, wide-spreading crowns.
Hardy in all but the coldest, exposed central and northern UK gardens. It grows best in hot, sunny microclimates, rapidly attaining 4 or 5m in height. Plant it to the south of tall evergreens such as bamboo or pines. This will protect it from northerly winds and show up its pale flower colour in the most dramatic way.
Remarkably, its flower buds are carried through winter and are damaged only in extreme seasons. Flowers are produced from a relatively young age, after only 4-6 years. They are sweetly scented, pale violet with purple hues and stripes resembling foxglove flowers. The individual fleshy-looking blooms are up to 8 cm long and are borne in dense panicles up to 20cm tall.
Did you know?
Growing Tips for Your Foxglove Tree, Paulownia tomentosa
-
- Soil and Sun: full sun in any soil. Shelter from strong winds protects its large foliage.
- Planting: at any time of year. Never plant a dry plant! Plunge the pot or stand it in water for 10 minutes to drench the root ball before planting. Do not add soil improvers.
- Watering: moderate; tolerates dry spells once established. Water regularly in its first two summers while rooting out.
- Height and spread: after 20-50 years 10m x 10m.
Grow it for huge foliage:
Allow young plants to establish for two years. In spring, coppice near ground level or pollard to a 30cm stump. Thinning to one stem directs all energy into new shoots, reaching up to 4m in a single season. This yields huge leaves over 1m across, though hard pruning forfeits spring flowers.
Grow as a medium-sized tree:
Allow your Empress Tree to establish for 4 or 5 years, then decide what size of tree you want. Pollard it in spring; prune back the crown except a framework of its main branches, or just the trunk. Flowering will not occur the year after pruning. However, bi- or tri-annual pruning will allow the formation of flower buds in the following years.
Grow as a large tree:
Allow this serene and stately tree plenty of room, as it may become wider than tall. A backdrop of dark evergreen foliage, such as Pinus radiata or Phyllostachys aureosulcata f aureocaulis, shows off the flowers best. Their pale hues are a similar colour to a blue sky.
