When does the Paulownia tree bloom? Which months is the flowering period in
The Paulownia tree, also known as white-flowered Paulownia, large-fruited Paulownia, hollow Paulownia wood, etc., is a deciduous tree of the genus Paulownia in the family Scrophulariaceae. It grows fast, is widely distributed, has good wood quality, and has many uses. It is suitable both for greening around the four sides of homes and for contiguous afforestation, and is also suited to farmland shelterbelt networks and crop-Paulownia intercropping across the vast areas of North China and the Central Plains. Now let us take a look at when the Paulownia tree blooms!
When does the Paulownia tree bloom?
The Paulownia tree usually blooms from March to April, and the flowering period lasts about 1 month. Paulownia flowers are borne 3 to 5 together in small cymes, with or without a common peduncle, but because the overwintering leaf-like involucre and bracts fall off, most of the small cymes form large inflorescences; the lateral branches of the inflorescence branches vary in length, making the inflorescence conical, pyramidal, or cylindrical. The corolla is large, purple or white, funnel-shaped bell-shaped to tubular funnel-shaped, with two longitudinal folds on the belly (only white-flowered Paulownia has no obvious longitudinal folds), often with dark purple spots on the inner surface, and yellow at the raised parts of the longitudinal folds.
Growth habits of the Paulownia tree
The Paulownia tree is a sun-loving species, most suitable for growing in sandy loam or gravelly soil that is well drained, has deep soil layers, and good aeration. It prefers moist, fertile soil, with a pH of 6 to 8 being best, and tends to selectively absorb elements such as magnesium, calcium, and strontium. Paulownia has strong adaptability and generally can grow in strongly acidic or strongly alkaline soil, or in relatively barren low mountain, hilly, or plain areas, but it dislikes waterlogging. Its temperature tolerance range is also relatively wide; in the north it can withstand low temperatures of -20°C to 25°C. It can grow from southern Liaoning in Northeast China, North China, Central China, East China, South China, and the Southwest to parts of the Northwest, and each region has species adapted to its local ecological environment.
Variety classification of the Paulownia tree
1. Southern Paulownia: The Southern Paulownia has a conical or broadly conical tree shape, heart-shaped round leaves, and the leaf underside is densely covered with dendritic hairs and sticky glandular hairs. The panicle branches are broad and large, the fruit is elliptical, and it sets much fruit. It is distributed from Zhejiang and Fujian in the east through Jiangxi to northern Guangdong, Hunan, and the mountainous areas at the junction of the four provinces of Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, and Guizhou. It grows wild in the hilly and mountainous areas of Zhejiang, Fujian, and eastern Sichuan.
2. White-flowered Paulownia: The White-flowered Paulownia has a straight, tall trunk, long ovate heart-shaped leaves, and the underside is covered with long-stalked dendritic hairs. The inflorescence branches are narrow and small, forming a cylindrical or narrow conical shape, and the corolla is white or light purple. White-flowered Paulownia is the most widely distributed species in the south, spread throughout south of the Yangtze River, from Taiwan in the east to the westernmost Gaoligong Mountains in Yunnan in the west, and south to Guangdong and Guangxi and as far as northern Vietnam and Laos.
3. Catalpa-leaf Paulownia: The Catalpa-leaf Paulownia has a relatively straight main trunk and a small branching angle. The leaves are long ovate heart-shaped, nearly twice as long as wide, and the underside is densely covered with short-stalked dendritic hairs. The inflorescence branches are conical or narrowly conical. It is distributed from the Jiaodong Peninsula in the east, along the Yellow River basin through the Taihang Mountains and Zhongtiao Mountains south to the mountainous area of western Henan, west to the lower reaches of the Luo River in Shaanxi, north to Beijing, and south to the Huai River basin.
4. Lankao Paulownia: The Lankao Paulownia has a trunk of the intermittent stem-continuation type. The leaf shape is ovate heart-shaped, entire or sometimes with angles at the base, the underside has stalkless dendritic hairs, and the upper side is hairless. The inflorescence branches are conical, and the fruit is elliptical ovate. In North China it often sets very little fruit, but in the Yangtze River basin the fruit set increases markedly. It is distributed from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.
5. Sichuan Paulownia: The Sichuan Paulownia has an umbrella-shaped or conical crown. Mature leaves are ovate-round heart-shaped, entire or slightly wavy, and the leaf underside is yellow. The inflorescence branches are broadly conical, the flowers are purple or white, and the base of the corolla suddenly enlarges into a bell shape. The capsule is ovate-spherical. It is distributed on the southern slope of Shennongjia in western Hubei, the Yichang area, western Hunan, and the mountainous areas of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, mostly growing wild.
6. Taiwan Paulownia: The Taiwan Paulownia has an umbrella-shaped crown. The leaves are ovate-round or broadly ovate heart-shaped. The inflorescence branches are broadly conical. The cymes have no common peduncle. The capsule is ovate-spherical. The fruit shell is thin and shell-like. It is distributed in the southeastern provinces south of the Yangtze River, including Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Hunan, and other provinces and regions, and is also distributed in southwestern Hubei and southeastern Sichuan.
7. Downy Paulownia: The Downy Paulownia has an umbrella-shaped crown. The leaves are broadly ovate-round heart-shaped. The inflorescence branches are broadly conical. The cymes have a common peduncle nearly as long as the flower stalk. The fruit is ovate-round, and the fruit shell is thin and shell-like. Downy Paulownia is the most widely distributed species in the north. It is cultivated across the vast area from north of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to southern Liaoning, Beijing, Taiyuan, and Tianshui, and has been introduced in many areas south of the Yangtze River.
8. Glabrous Paulownia: Glabrous Paulownia is a plant of the genus Paulownia in the family Scrophulariaceae, a variety of Downy Paulownia. Its main difference from Downy Paulownia is that the underside of mature leaves is hairless or very sparsely hairy, and the base is rounded to shallowly heart-shaped. It is distributed in Shaanxi, Gansu, Shanxi, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Hubei, and northern Sichuan, cultivated or wild, at elevations up to 1700 m.