Re: Pawlonia tomentosa

Your trip sounds fascinating, Nick and a great link to Chinese plants.   Have you read Peter
Valder's book "The Garden Plants of China" ? It won some great award, presented in England  Thank you.
With regards the Pawlonia, I wholeheartedly agree with you except you didn't say how marvelous the leaves are.
I planted one, about 7 years ago and it first flowered two years later, in the country garden which may
suffer some light frosts, and it has given me two new babies which are now growing strongly i
n different areas within the large garden.
Tasmania, in this area would be Zone 7 or 8 [I think]
To keep the leaves large, I cut down in Winter time and try to keep the rapidly growing tree to one main trunk
The reason I first tried cutting it  was because a seedling did grow beside it and it looked to have
larger leaves, so I chain sawed Mama Pawlonia almost to the the ground.   >From several main trunks Mama then
grew again with one only and produced enormous leaves.   I had to make the baby leave home then and it has
now grown strongly in its own place
I have heard of the Pawlonia  being commercially farmed in Victoria, Australia.  An ever repeating crop apparently.
The farmer cuts the tree down when the wood is thick enough, annually,  and it comes back stronger than ever
I wish our rain forest trees had the same quality
 

Nick Turland wrote:

Medit-planters,
 
--
Gay Klok Tasmania
Latest article: "Are you True Gardeners in Real Gardens?"
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Violets are blue
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