Paulownia tomentosa (princess tree), 11 cm pot

• Type: Princess tree (Paulownia)
• Latin name: Paulownia tomentosa
• Mature height: 8–15 m (lower in Estonia)
• Width: 6–10 m
• Pot: 11 cm
• Light: sunny
• Winter hardiness: USDA 5–9 (a young plant needs winter protection in Estonia)

Planting Plant in spring (late April – May) or autumn (September) in a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained soil; wet spots with standing water are unsuitable. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot, mix the excavated soil with compost, set the plant at the same depth it grew in the pot and water generously. Space plants 4–5 m apart.

Watering Water a young plant regularly for the first two years and more often in dry spells; an established plant needs watering only in long dry periods. Mulch the soil with bark or wood chips.

Pruning Prune in spring: remove dead and frost-damaged branches; it grows fast and tolerates hard pruning.

Feeding and winter care Feed in spring with compost or an organic fertiliser and, if needed, with a complex fertiliser in spring – early summer; give no nitrogen in autumn. A young plant is frost-tender in Estonia: plant it in a warm, sheltered spot and cover the base with a thick layer of mulch in the first winters; cut frost-damaged shoots back in spring. Hard frost can damage the flower buds, so it flowers less often in Estonia.