Stump for Paulownia...

“Eek, you’re showing my stump! That’s private!” the Princess wails. “Not exactly, Princess,” I reply. “I know you’re embarrassed, but hey. This is to sate the curiosity of tree folks everywhere.” What’s with my Paulownia tomentosa, you wonder? She liked the last blog, with a photo of her bumptious leaves, but today I’m writing about what’s underneath, and there isn’t much to admire. The photo shows her coppiced base. Three green stems at the back remain after I changed her form from a shrub to a...

Paulownia: A Princess with Laughable Lea...

“What’s a nice girl like me doing with a leaf like you?” I asked the biggest leaf on my princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa) the other day. “Whaddya mean?” she answered with attitude. “You’re wrinkled, you’re sticky, you’re big and hairy.What’s to like?” I replied. “You love me,” she said simply. And she was right. In my summer garden, I can’t resist a leaf that’s 33 inches long and 31 inches wide, even if ugly is one way to describe it. For me it’s a big deal. I live in New...