Paulownia - the spectacular growing tree

What is paulownia?

I had long heard of paulownia and its spectacular growth. I knew that it had been acclimatized in the USA and that in the European Community it was seen as a miracle tree that would restore all forests lost, and the air will be breathable all over the world again. But the other day I saw a comment that this miracle was not so "wonderful" and I decided to look into it. I'll tell you what I found out, maybe it will help.

Where paulownia comes from and the characteristics of this wood

Paulownia is native to East Asia and is specific to China, but has been successfully acclimatized in the USA and many European countries. It is a very fast-growing tree, and can be harvested for timber only 4 years after planting.

paulownia crops in Bulgaria photo source: silva.bgPaulownia wood is structurally similar to ash wood. It has a light, grey-white color (also called aluminum tree), with slight reddish iridescence and very little difference between sapwood and heartwood.

The annual rings are distinct and very wide, due to their very high growth rate.

It has many large, round, large pores in both early and late wood. The pores in early wood are arranged in 3-5 rows and are very large and round, very rarely semi-round. Latewood pores are rarer and medium to small in size. The medullary rays are visible and the grain is straight and smooth. What makes it very different from ash is its density and hardness, which are similar to spruce.

Wood is easy to process and is used both as timber,

and veneer.

It is mainly used to obtain tackleof various boxes or construction.

In Japan has been manufactured for a very long time musical instruments paulownia. It is used worldwide to make electric guitars.

It performs very well when turning and milling to make kitchen bowls,

or various decorative objects.

Also used in mobile,

but also in sculpture or for obtaining wooden clogs or surfboards.

Paulownia has been around since the 1970s, but only as a decorative plant. Since 2010 it has been presented as a great business opportunityand EC start-up money. First to start on a large scale the business is Paul Basoc, a man from Bistrita who already has several crops in the country and who is also working with other people eager to start such a business.

He still says it's a very lucrative business that pays off after 4 years, when the tree can be felled for timber. However, he points out that there are more than 28 species of paulownia and not all are adapted to our country. Also, the soil on which it is planted needs to have a pH between 4.5 and 7, and the crops need to be irrigated and fertilized. Under these conditions the plant grows very fast, reaching from a few centimetres to 3 m in just one year.

But there are also voices that say that it's all a fairy tale, that the plant doesn't last in our conditions and that after 2-3 years it dries out. However, thinking that all over Europe and in our neighboring countries such as Bulgaria and Hungary, such crops are successful, I am inclined to believe that the business can be successful here too, but the right variety and soil must be found, and the necessary water should not be left to the rains alone.

In any case, there is a lot of information out there on the subject and it's good to do your homework before you start anything. It is good to see what others from other countries have to say about this experience. I wish you good luck!