Paulownia (Princess Tree)

[Kent Reisdorph]

I walk my 5 acres every few months just to see what I see. I'm amazed that after two years I find trees I did not know I had. The other day I stumbled across a tree that Picture This identified as princess tree. Picture This is often wrong, especially if the tree doesn't have leaves. So I took a picture of a leaf on the ground. Princess tree. Then I found a cluster of empty nut husks. Sure enough, it's a princess tree.

I understand paulownia is used for carving. It has a Janka hardness of 300, and is called "the other balsa." Any thoughts on this wood?

 

[Daniel Henry]

I walk my 5 acres every few months just to see what I see. I'm amazed that after two years I find trees I did not know I had. The other day I stumbled across a tree that Picture This identified as princess tree. Picture This is often wrong, especially if the tree doesn't have leaves. So I took a picture of a leaf on the ground. Princess tree. Then I found a cluster of empty nut husks. Sure enough, it's a princess tree.

I understand paulownia is used for carving. It has a Janka hardness of 300, and is called "the other balsa." Any thoughts on this wood?

It is NOT native. It is consider invasive. A fellow woodturner says "kill'em all".

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

It is NOT native. It is consider invasive. A fellow woodturner says "kill'em all".

I am aware. I also have some Tree of Heaven that need to go.

 

[Paul Paukstelis]

I've turned some. It turned pretty nicely when it was green. Lots of tear out once it had sat around and started to dry out. Very light. The pith is hollow (at least in the couple of trees I chopped up).

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

I'm not terribly interested in the wood as a turner. I was thinking of processing and selling it for carving and/or surfboard blanks. It has some value and is difficult to find in any thickness over 1".

 

[Jim Holcombe]

Paulownia is a very stable wood when it comes to temp and humidity. Used in Asia to make boxes with tight fitting sliding on lids that don’t move with changes in weather.

 

[robo hippy]

The Paulownia/Royal Empress Tree was traditionally planted when a couple had a daughter and by the time she was of marrying age, it was ready for harvest to be made into furniture. They can grow 50 foot tall and 16 to 18 inch diameter in 10 years. The inside does have a large center hole. I have seen some You Tube videos of a process where they take a red hot iron from the fire and scorch the top surface and then scorch it. It can finish out nicely. Only use of it that I know of for it is as the sound board for that 'on your lap. slack string" instrument from Japan. As for the Tree of Heaven, I think you need chemicals. They sprout from roots.

robo hippy

 

[Isaac Fisher]

It’s nice for furniture. Very soft, but cuts easily and cleanly. Working properties are more like basswood than balsa. Machines pretty well, but it’s really great for anything with a lot of hand tool work. Lovely grain patterns, too.

Milling it for lumber is a solid plan. If I was closer I would buy some slabs from you.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

The Paulownia/Royal Empress Tree was traditionally planted when a couple had a daughter and by the time she was of marrying age, it was ready for harvest to be made into furniture. They can grow 50 foot tall and 16 to 18 inch diameter in 10 years. The inside does have a large center hole. I have seen some You Tube videos of a process where they take a red hot iron from the fire and scorch the top surface and then scorch it. It can finish out nicely. Only use of it that I know of for it is as the sound board for that 'on your lap. slack string" instrument from Japan. As for the Tree of Heaven, I think you need chemicals. They sprout from roots.

robo hippy

That's a cool backstory for paulownia. I think mine is about 16" diameter.

 

[hockenbery]

I'm not terribly interested in the wood as a turner. I was thinking of processing and selling it for carving and/or surfboard blanks. It has some value and is difficult to find in any thickness over 1".

Not sure about current value. In Maryland around 2003-4 there were several reports of thefts of pawlonia.
Probably same group cutting trees near the road and taking the logs from semi rural areas.