Tree ID help-Paulownia

This mystery is located in west Tennessee. The trunk is about 2 feet in diameter and reaches about 30 feet tall. The canopy is about 30 feet in diameter as well. The leaves measure 9 inches wide and 12 inches long. The fruit is 2 inches long, the clusters may be 18 inches in length.

Sooo... What is it?

EDIT: Well... that's fun. My connection didn't load my pics. Gotta leave for a few hours, may not get posted till later.

Has the internet speed improved?

I love plant mysteries! Pictures are showing up now. Could it be some kind of Basswood? I've not seen any in person, so not super familiar or confident. Just a guess.

Paulownia tomentosa according to my plant Id app, also known as princess tree or empress tree. Native to China and Japan this says.

That may be right Jayme. attempting another pic

PFAF seems to be missing information detailing the edibility #1 and medicinal #3. Are the details moved elsewhere? Or is my internet too slow to laod it all? Screenshot from here.

Bummer. Just the flowers are edible according to Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Flowers are edible and are sometimes added to salads... ...Edible parts of Foxglove Tree: Leaves - cooked. An emergency food, used when all else fails. Flowers. Eaten with miso...

Ooops. Forgot the reference link... Leaves can be fed to livestock. Types not listed where I read it. How about for rabbits?

Medicinal uses.

Medicinal use of Foxglove Tree: A decoction of the leaves is used to wash foul ulcers and is also said to promote the growth of hair and prevent greying. The leaves are also poulticed onto bruises. The leaf juice is used in the treatment of warts. The flowers are used in the treatment of skin ailments. A tincture of the inner bark is used in the treatment of fevers and delirium. It is astringent and vermifuge.

Does anyone know of other uses for this tree?

Also, does anyone intimately familiar with Paulownia tomentosa thinks the ID is correct?

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, that is Paulownia. Probably tomentosa, but there are a few other species and hybrids of those with tomentosa  that are functionally identical.

They were a bit of a fad to grow in plantations throughout the South a few decades ago. The lumber is quite valuable in China, used for many woodworking applications. The wood is extremely light, about halfway between balsa wood and normal softwood lumber species.

A log 2 feet across and 8-10 feet long used to be worth many thousands of dollars. I have no idea if the prices are even higher now.

The foliage is rich fodder, grows quickly and abundantly, would make excellent chop and drop tree fodder for ruminants, not sure about rabbits, but worth a try.

It is easily coppiced or pollarded.

Thank you B!

I was looking into alternate tofus and stumbled upon someone making leaf protein concentrate from the foilage of this tree:
https://youtu.be/usXTsoJ8nsM?is=4S9qdx76nV70LmzS

There's not enough here to.make me certain the leaves of this tree are edible, but there is enough to prompt further inquiries.

B Beeson wrote:It is easily coppiced or pollarded.

I believe if you do that you get ginormous leaves! Ideal if you're wanting to use it as fodder (or leafu!)



The site I took this picture from (Pawlonia energy) is promoting the tree as a biomass source.... I wonder if it would grow on Skye?

Nancy Reading wrote:

B Beeson wrote:It is easily coppiced or pollarded.

I believe if you do that you get ginormous leaves! Ideal if you're wanting to use it as fodder... I wonder if it would grow on Skye?

Temperature tolerance down to -10F, so probably OK on Skye?

Does not like strong winds, those big leaves and tall spindly shoots would blow over very easily, so only in a very sheltered location.

Likes warm summer heat, definitely not very Skye.

Might be considered invasive, check your local ag regs. It spreads easily by wind-born seeds here in Southeast USA, but it doesn't make a nuisance of itself, in my opinion.

Not sure it would even flower on Skye with the cool climate, but if it does, the bees love it. Beautiful abundant light purple flowers appear pretty early, so useful for early bee food.


Edit: Almost forgot... Paulownia must have good drainage, sandy to silty, definitely not heavy clay soils. The combination of deep sandy soil and sheltered from wind might be tough on Skye.