Paulownia tomentosa uses

I know these are generally ornamentals grown for their massive leaves but does anyone know of any other uses they might have here in the Uk? I ask because my brother took a photo of a field in which he didn't know the plants but they were grown a single stems and then harvested every year. They are obviously Paulownia and I think probably just field grown for the garden trade (they don't branch so aren't pruned at all, I would guess dug up and then smaller ones replanted each year) and it's been the same for the several years he has past by. So do they have a use other than ornamental here?

I'm also guessing they readily self seed. I haven't seen one in the area but there are several growing in the cracks near our local shops.

 

I wonder if it's a trial for biomass.

The seedlings are tiny in the first stages, so I don't think they are likely to become invasive.
They probably prefer disturbed soil to start with as well.

 

I just did some searches @Thevictorian. The wood is used for making guitars, also as the core for surfboards. There's an interesting video here:

guitar-body-blank

More information from the above link:

Paulownia wood has been used for a wide variety of purposes in China and Japan for more than 2500 years. Australia, the US, and now Europe are becoming principal consumers due to its unique characteristics. The main common products are:

• Housing components that do not require high timber strength.
• Aircraft and yatch fittings, requiring light wood.
• Water sport materials such as surfboards, wakeboards, skies, etc.
• Veneers for plywood.
• Furniture, especially drawers. This is because the wood fits snugly and is insect-resistant.
• Musical instruments, particularly guitars and sounding boards.
• Barrels, especially those used for acids, wine, etc.
• Beehives, for which light-weight and good insulating properties are needed.
• Aqueducts, in rural areas.
• Handcrafts, because the wood is easy to carve and turn.
• Rice bowls and other utensils, especially in earlier times.
• Wooden boxes for gifts or storage of paintings and scrolls.
• Charcoal for fireworks and filters.
• Wood pulp – which is white and strong.
• Wood shavings for packaging and insulation.
• Packaging, especially light crates.
• Paulownia Coffins, becoming very popular in Europe.
• Pattern-making, where timber stability is required.

 

That is so interesting. We have one that we cut right back in March so that we have the fabulous velvet leaves that are huge. We also have 2 more in different parts of the garden that we leave to flower. And they have done even though they are still very young. Only able to do this from root cuttings, the branches when cut continue to grow leaves but never root.
Lovely tree and now know how useful it is.

 

I talked to an exhibitor at an agricultural show last year promoting growing biomass to Welsh farmers. They had paulownia and eucalyptus as well as other more common varieties. Though he said some people had suffered losses with eucalyptus when we had hard frosts. Depends which eucalyptus species i'd have thought. But paulownia is dead hardy

 

Thanks everyone for the inpit.
I was more wondering if they had a possible use/reason to be grown here. I looked online and saw all the ways they use them in there natural range but we have plenty of woods that's replace those uses here. I didn't know if they were used in the medical industry or some such similar field where they contain something usual that I wasn't aware off, but didn't find anything.
I still believe that they must just be grown for the ornamental trade, since they are only there a year and then replanted.