Monday, October 5, 2015

Paulownia

There are several varieties of Paulownia in existence.  They are all similar in that they are generally drought resistant.  They are different based on their ability to grow where they are native and in that the color and patterns on the flowers are different.







They usually grow quickly.  The leaves are an excellent fodder for many different kinds of livestock.  They also are capable of quickly decaying in an anaerobic environment to provide excellent fertilizer for other plants.  Trees from this genus are capable of growing over 10' in a single growing season.  Varieties that have been bred specifically for biomass production generally branch more, while varieties that are grown specifically for lumber production usually grow quickly up to 20' tall and then gradually grow thicker and thicker with leaves that gradually get smaller as the tree ages.

Lumber from paulownia is capable of being used in some building applications, but it is usually used in fine carpentry, by wood-workers who are familiar with it's particularities.  Lumber from paulownia is capable of curing in the open air, without kilns.  It is lightweight and silvery colored.  Torsional strength is low, but it could have some applications in lightweight vehicle manufacturing (with some kind of structural consideration such as a rigid outer film, or solid core). 

Traditional japanese carpenters and woodworkers especially value specimens that are grown slowly, as a tree would in it's natural habitat.

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