History of Paulownia

   Paulownia trees are indigenous to China, and are also known as the Empress tree, the Princess tree or the Kiri tree. Japanese use of Paulownia can be traced back to A.D. 200. A tradition was developed that when a family had a daughter they would plant a Paulownia tree. When she married, the tree would be cut down and made into her wedding chest. They also believed that when the tree was planted close to the house, the Phoenix would come, and bring them good luck.

   China has historically been the largest grower of Paulownia. They use the wood for the making of furniture, toys, plywood, musical instruments and in housing construction.

   The Paulownia tree made its way to the United States in the mid-1800s. Paulownia seedpods were used as packaging material for delicate porcelain dishes on their journey across the Pacific. Once unpacked, some believe that the tiny wind-blown seeds could have become naturalized. However, we believe this not likely because only one subspecies of the nine known sub-species from China appears in the United States. Also, he asks: “if propagated from wind-born seed brought in from seedpod-packed dishes, why would today’s US Paulownia be found only in the Appalachian Region of the eastern United States? Were the people in the Mountains the only ones buying porcelain from China?”

   Since the 1970s, Japan has not been able to grow enough Paulownia to meet its high demand. They have a great appreciation for the appearance of the wood and most Japanese households have at least one piece of furniture made from Paulownia. Today, the Japanese continue to be the largest buyers in the world of both old-growth and plantation Paulownia.

   Fast growth varieties of Paulownia have been cloned to produce a uniform, light, strong wood that can be harvested in about 8-10 years. These trees are now propagated through cloning techniques, and are grown in well-maintained plantations. It is estimated that China, alone, has some 1.2 billion-plantation Paulownia trees in production. Plantation programs have also been established in Australia, New Zealand, Central America, South America and North America… all continents excepting Antarctica.

   During the 1990s, many US Paulownia plantations were established, primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The faster growing Paulownia is an affordable alternative to the increasingly rare, native-growing Tomatosa variety. Paulownia can also be used as an alternative to other lightweight woods such as, Yellow Poplar, Western Red Cedar, Balsa, Maranti and Basswood.