Paulonia Seeds?

I have a 30 year old Paulonia tree in my garden that I grew from seed. It's now about 30ft tall and really needs cutting right back, it's just too big for the garden. I've done this before in late autumn and it has regrown quite happily.

However, just in case....

Over the last 4 years or so it has started flowering, this year quite profusely, and is now laden with what I assume are seed pods. The pods are green and sticky, about the size of a large hazel nut (the squirrels have munched a few, but decided they don't like them). I have cut a couple of the pods up, but no obvious sign of seed(s) inside them, so maybe the whole thing is a seed (I can't remember what the original seed looked like).

All the seeds are up on the part of the tree that will need to come down. Should I just leave the seeds on the tree as long as possible, maybe then dry them off and try planting in spring, or what?

I'd like to try growing some, just in case my tree doesn't survive, and because a few neighbours and friends have said they'd like a tree, it's quite attractive with it's blue flowers and HUGE leaves, and the timber makes pretty good firewood as well!

Any thoughts?

Thanks, David.

 

Welcome davidm
The pods are ripe when they turn brown. Inside are many small seeds.
The seed can be germinated by cold stratification / cold moist prechilling.

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/pato11.htm

You will need to wait a little longer before copicing your tall tree ( easier with no leaves on) by then the pods may be ripe.

Why not try taking cuttings. This is recommended for July and August. But it would be worth a try today. nothing to lose! Do several, incase you have some losses.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Paulownia+tomentosa

http://thegreen.greatbritishlife.co...e-for-a-princess-and-a-symbol-of-merit-19880/

 

Thanks for the reply, very helpful. I'll certainly wait until after leaf fall before attacking the tree, so with a bit more sun maybe the pods will turn brown by then.

Tried cuttings in the past but with no success, but I'll maybe have another go.

 

As you already know David it grows rapidly from seed, I'm wondering if the seed actually ripens here in the UK.
If it does its very small and appears to be distributed by the wind.

I've grown it from seed in the past but always had to cut back hard mainly due to lack of space, well done on getting it to flowering size, its a really nice tree in flower.

Good luck.

 

Both mine have been flowering the last 3 years in Springtime, I usually cut back hard after flowering when the worst of the frosts have passed. In prime position one puts on about 12 feet, where the other is shaded and slightly slower. I never let mine seed up but if you have some spare seeds ahem :D I am taking my 30 footer down to 6 feet next year hoping for some whopper leaves in 2011. Do update us with seed information as I'd love to know

If you like jungle leaves you should try tetrapanax, doing really well in my little patch and needs little help in the south.

 

Hi Banana Man,

Yes, I'll let you know if I manage to get some seeds, there's 100's of seed pods up there, so just depends on whether they ripen! Alternatively you could try http://www.jungleseeds.com/, the chap who runs it gave me the seed from which I grew my tree, way before he started in the business, and he has some really interesting stuff (seeds and plants). Well worth a look at the web site!

I had my tree for about 26 years before it flowered, maybe pruning back each year didn't help, so for the last 4 years I just let it grow away, maybe that encourged it to flower. I'll be sad if if it doesn't survive the rather drastic pruning back it's going to get this year. If worst comes to worst I may replace it with a Paulonia (Paulownia?) tomentosa if I can get one, might be a better size for my garden.

That Tetrapanax looks quite spectacular, have you managed to propogate from it?

 

I am waiting till it matures a little longer then going to disturb the roots a bit. It tends to sucker fairly readily plenty of new off spring. I am ignorant to whether it can be UK propagated

Yep used JS before, have had my jungle a few years now