Have You Heard of the Empress Tree?

Witchy Wisdom
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Empress Tree Leaves :leaves: given to me by my son and his girlfriend

Empress Tree :deciduous_tree: & Leaves :leaves:

Have you heard of the Empress Tree (Paulownia Tomentosa)? It goes by other names, including is also known as Chinese empress tree, foxglove tree, karri tree, princess tree, royal paulownia, butterfly tree, empress of China, paulownia, paulownia tree, and royal paulownia tree.

The generic name Paulownia honors Princess :princess: Anna Paulowna (1795-1865), daughter of Czar Paul I of Russia. The specific epithet tomentosa is a Latin word that means covered in hair.

The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as medicine, a source of materials, and sometimes as food. It is a showy, aggressive ornamental tree grown in plantations for timber production. It has tended to escape from cultivation and invade disturbed areas. It can invade rapidly after disturbances such as fire, construction, or floods, and its ability to resprout prolifically allows it to survive fire, cutting, and even bulldozing on building sites.

This fast-growing tree is native to parts of Asia and is now found in Africa, Europe, and the US.

History of the Empress :crown: Tree :deciduous_tree:

The Empress Splendor (Paulownia) is a sacred tree of the Orient, long revered for its fast growth, quality wood, and uses in traditional Chinese medicine. In Japan, it is the emblem of the prime minister.

In Japan, they associate the Empress Splendor tree with good fortune:

“They used to call paulownia ‘gold wood’ because you could sell the wood from one tree and buy a new car with the proceeds. When you gave birth to a daughter, you’d plant three paulownia trees so that they’d be grown by the time she was ready to marry, and you could use them as dowry – Takeshi Suzuki.

→ As the tree matures, it’s transformed into a wedding chest, symbolizing growth and continuity.

When having or using your Empress Tree Leaves for spirituality or practice-related reasons, this tree and its leaves are used with these intentions in mind:

→ Expansion
→ Love :heartpulse:
→ Resilience
→ Rebirth :phoenix:

Today, the Empress Tree is a favored choice in landscaping, not just for its rapid growth but also as a symbol of sustainable beauty. Its presence in gardens is a nod to a greener future rooted in a storied past.

Its bark and leaves have been tapped for traditional remedies, addressing ailments from skin conditions to digestive issues. Medicinal marvels are hidden in its greenery, a testament to nature’s healing power.

:house_with_garden: A Sanctuary for Wildlife :heart_eyes:

Birds chirp, bees buzz, and butterflies flutter around the Empress Tree, a veritable hotel for biodiversity. Its large leaves and fragrant blossoms provide shelter and sustenance for various species. In the push for urban green spaces, this tree is a living lesson in ecology, fostering community engagement with the natural world.

Do you have your own Empress Tree, or have you encountered it at any time? Let us know what your experience is or was or what you think of it in the comments! :hugs:

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Wow looks at those leaves. They’re amazing :sparkling_heart:

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I’ve never heard of this kind of tree before - how cool! Thanks for sharing, @Susurrus :leaves: :heart:

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@tracyS, the leaves were ginormous! I have three of them, but I was amazed at their size. They are pretty, too! :hugs:

@MeganB, you’re welcome! I had never heard of this tree or seen the leaves before! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Wow that’s something I would plant @georgia should we plant this in our garden?

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It will take some attention to keep it from taking over. Let’s keep it from corners or border areas so we can better hold it from spreading to neighboring yards. Our neighbors might not appreciate it the way we do.

If it gets out of control on our own land, we can build a lumber mill. Perhaps build a house of its wood- sheds, barn, musical instruments, other necessities, and use the sawdust and milling refuse to make paper for writing. This sounds really productive for a town or community, but at 15 feet wide may take away our space for gardening other foods and supplies… unless we are creating a whole planet of our own…

Used for food and medicine? I wonder what it would taste like and what it would heal- the links above don’t lead where I hoped on this subject. My rule of thumb is to taste everything I offer my pets so I know it is good quality. I’m also interested in the perfume and incense elements of it. If it’s anything like a catalpa tree, I bet it smells wonderful! Set up our own bee hives for honey and possible allergy relief.

Knowing that it attracts animals and birds is important to me. That supports life around us, which in turn supports us. We can sit in its shade and listen to the birds sing while we meditate!

Such quick growth and perseverance means it will have deep, strong roots- like a dandelion. Avoid putting it near water or sewage pipes, yet it will need excellent drainage to help it grow strong- no clay soil like where I grew up for this one.

Sandy soil like what I have here might drain water too quickly, but at the edge of sandy areas, the trees might help rebuild soil for growing future gardens in areas previously stricken by drought. Dead leaves in fall and rotting wood at the end of the tree’s life could help build soil- plenty of compost and fertilizer. I was originally thinking of the dust bowl of the 1930’s, here, but would the grasslands get enough water to support such trees? Even high desert where I am now doesn’t get enough water to support many trees.

I think I’d enjoy having this tree around as an investment in future productivity. What are your thoughts?

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I agree i also love to study it in the medicine field

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Be good representation of resilience and strength in spells?

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Yes! :purple_heart:

It looks like there once was a link, but it either broke or was removed due to possible lawsuits- probably long before @Susurrus found it.

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OMG what s beautiful tree. Thank you for sharing this with us!

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@georgia it took me some time but I was feeling the same way when the links didn’t expand on edible or medicinal/healing uses. So I went hunting.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked. An emergency food, used when all else fails[177, 183]. Flowers[177]. Eaten with miso[183].

References More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

A decoction of the leaves is used to wash foul ulcers and is also said to promote the growth of hair and prevent greying[218, 222]. The leaves are also poulticed onto bruises[218]. The leaf juice is used in the treatment of warts[218, 222]. The flowers are used in the treatment of skin ailments[178, 218]. A tincture of the inner bark is used in the treatment of fevers and delirium[218]. It is astringent and vermifuge[178, 218].
→ Edible & Medicinal Uses

I hope that helps, I will try to find a bit more.

@Satans_Helper I think it would be great for those magical uses.

@celineelise it’s gorgeous but it can take over if it’s not teded to, but finding it so close to me surprised me.

The sandy soil makes sense though. I think @john1 & @geogia will take care of it in their garden though :hugs:

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You can download the scientific paper on the medicinal uses of the tree here

http://www.journalrepository.org/media/journals/EJMP_13/2016/Apr/Joshee1412016EJMP25170.pdf

Others -

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814623001127

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I’m in love! Also… I just want to say, so very much, that I wish giving gifts like leaves and rocks and really good sticks was normalized in our society!

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Excellent! That’s what I was looking for. Thank you both, @Susurrus and @Artemisia
:sparkling_heart::bouquet:

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