A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 cut it down ? or move my house?

if any one can tell me what this is i would really appreciate it.
my son says it looks like jack & the beanstalk.
a great discription from a 3 yo. i don't think i can describe it better!
this plant, tree, weed , popped up this spring & is now over 12' tall. it's growing like crazy.
i just bought this house in march.
any help would be great!

http://photos.yahoo.com/hashmastergeneral

thanks,
steve

Hi Hashmaster,

Welcome to the forum!

Does the plant flower? What is the texture of the leaves?

no flowers so far & the leaves are somewhat soft

Hashmaster,
My guess is a Royal Paulownia Tree (Paulownia Tomentosa)

thanks,
i think you hit the nail right on the head. it looks just like it, i think i might have to move it because it's so close to the house.30' tall is pretty big.

They have great blue flowers. Rare for a big tree.

And they grow big really fast!

Dianna

Wow! That's a really great looking tree from the pictures. It looks like just what I've been looking for for my shadeless yard. Can anyone give me any other info about it? Does it grow nicely or does it need heavy pruning? What does it mean when they say it could be considered a noxious weed? And how big around do they get? That looks like a real neat find hashmaster!

I've read that the tree can get "full sized" in 3 years. Has pretty flowers, and easy to grow. However, also read that they can become invasive from all the seeds they drop, and they do grow rapidly. Remember, full sized in 3 years. That's really fast growing, about 10 feet a year.

Meg

That is one big tree 10ft in a year and the size of those leaves. Methinks I don't need one of those even with the beautiful flowers gotta draw a line someer's.
Oh and Btw hashmaster I would cut it down if it's that close to your house you can always use the wood for fire wood. If not close to the house what other harm can it do?

WOW, Id love a few of those around here. We have a couple of spots that really need shade. Will have to look for one.

If it is one of those trees....

There's many plus's and minus's of it...

They are extremely faasssst growers, and good for shade and pretty flowers...
And it is prized in China and regions' for it's beautiful wood...many musical instraments are made from this wood...

And the wood is one of the hardest woods for
one of the fastest growing woods, which is unusual.

But, they do need to be kept in an area where
wind can't get at it, to keep it straight, it
needs shelter from those blowing winds that would
make it grow sideways or crooked.

But, cutting it down may be another whole ball
of wax for you......
Cause, if you cut it down, it just regrows from it's stump.. and regrows just as fast...

And moving it out into another area in some parts of the country *lower growing zones than say 6* it might not be a good idea.. as they are marginal
in those areas....

I would love to grow a forrest full of them some day...

Well guess that puts me out since we are in zone 5 and we get winds almost every day in the summer. Bummer.

Hey, if you're not using the wood,
it doesn't have to grow exactly straight...
You could have a crooked fast growing shade tree...

They say if it's in a protected area, *House, etc.* it possible can survive, but each
place would have it's hit and miss..

geesh, this inspired me to get some pictures of some weed trees I have growing...or at least I'm calling them weed trees - I have no idea what they are. When the guys did some work in our yard, we couldn't get out there for about 2 weeks, and it grew up beyond mowing and the weed wacker died so now they're just growing like blazes till I get to lowes...anyway I noticed one with leaves that looks similar to this one, and it's probably about 15' if I had to guess....doubt I'd be so lucky that it would be something as nice as this though!

does anyone know if the Royal Paulownia will grow from a branch?.
i have to cut it down, but i have a place for one.

The only method I know of,
would be this one..
Probagating Pots from Lee Valley Tools
If you order now,
you might try a test...
put one on now...*(you get 5 to a package)*
but normally it's done in the spring time.

Just clip a leaf on the stem, *younger parts/tips*
and put the pot around it and wait a few weeks for the roots to grow/???

well, had to chop it down,measured it & that sucker was 19'high in & only seen start gowing since april. it was about 10" when i found it!
looks like it would be a nice tree, but way too colse to the house

Hashmaster,
Keep an eye on it,
if it was a Paulownia tree,
they do re~sprout after being
chopped down...again and again!!!!

Weezie,
thanks,
i kinda hope it does, then maybe i can dig it up & replant it somewhere favorable.