''Paulownia elongata'' is a species of

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

in the family

Paulowniaceae Paulowniaceae are a family of flowering plants within the Lamiales. They are a monophyletic and monogeneric family of trees with currently 7 confirmed species. They were formerly placed within Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato'', or as a segregate of ...

, native to Asia. The plant's leaves are very large and

pubescent The adjective pubescent may describe: * people or animals undergoing puberty * plants that are hairy, covered in trichomes * insects that are covered in setae In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a ...

('fuzzy—hairy'). This species can withstand a very wide range of environmental conditions. It does not grow at higher altitudes however.

Uses

Cultivation

''Paulownia elongata'' is cultivated as an

ornamental tree Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

for use in gardens and parks. It is selected for its purple flowers, and its shade tolerance.

Biofuel

The tree is planted and grown as feedstock for

biofuel Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (E ...

production. Due to the large quantity of

biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...

produced annually, it is suited for use as biofuel feedstock.

Lumber

''Paulownia elongata'' is planted as a forestry tree producing strong, yet light, wood. It is grown for lumber in North America and China. Commercial plantations are normally established from selected clones resulting from

micropropagation Micropropagation or tissue culture is the practice of rapidly multiplying plant stock material to produce many progeny plants, using modern plant tissue culture methods. Micropropagation is used to multiply a wide variety of plants, such as th ...

.Worldpaulownia.com: "Paulownia elongata is a fast growing shade tree that flowers."
Accessed 6.12.2012 They are known to grow up to or more in the first year. It is reportedly the fastest-growing

hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...

tree. Some proponents state that ''P. elongata'' plantations can reach a harvestable size in five to seven years..

References

External links

Paulowniaceae Flora of Asia Flora of China Energy crops Garden plants of Asia Ornamental trees Plants described in 1896 {{Lamiales-stub