Flora of New Zealand Series

paulownia

Large spreading tree to c. 15 m high. Lvs with long petioles. Lamina to c. 25 × 20 cm on flowering shoots, ovate, glandular-hairy above, densely glandular-hairy below and with some hairs stellate, at least when young, entire or toothed (usually shallowly 3-5-lobed on young trees); base cordate; apex acute or acuminate. Panicle erect, pyramidal; branches and calyx rusty brown; tomentose; fl. buds produced in the previous summer. Calyx 1.5-2 cm long, campanulate; lobes obtuse. Corolla 5-7 cm long, glandular-hairy outside; tube campanulate-funnelform, sharply bent near base, mauve with white or yellowish throat, sometimes with dark streaks; lobes c. 1.5 cm broad, ± rounded, glandular-ciliate. Capsule 3.5-4.5 cm long including beak, ovoid. Seed fusiform; wing striate.

N.: Auckland City, Katikati (Bay of Plenty), Levin; S.: Christchurch.

China 1988

Occasional in the vicinity of gardens, especially in pavement cracks or similar places.

FL Oct-Nov.

Paulownia is commonly cultivated in the North Id and some warmer lowland parts of the South Id. The small winged seeds are produced freely and seedlings sometimes grow spontaneously; in addition mature trees sometimes sucker strongly with plants appearing spontaneously many metres away. Where plants are growing in favourable conditions, juvenile lvs can be double the size of those on flowering shoots. The striking panicles of mauve fls are reminiscent of Jacaranda. The sp. has also been known as P. imperialis in N.Z.