Search for

Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Carving Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Abrasion Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Weathering Scientific Name Paulownia tomentosa Trade Name Royal paulownia Family Name Scrophulariaceae Common Names Arbol de la emperatriz, Blue catalpa, Empress tree, Foxglove tree, Kiri, Paulonia real, Princess tree, Royal paulownia, Shima giri Regions of Distribution Latin America, North America, Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Argentina, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea-North, Korea-South, United States Common Uses Boxes and crates, Cabinetmaking, Flooring, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture , Furniture, Musical instruments, Plywood, Pulp/Paper products, Specialty items, Tool handles, Veneer: decorative, Wooden shoes Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Status within its natural growth range has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview The species is indigenous to China and Japan, but it has been successfully cultivated in the United States. It has escaped, and can now be found from southern New York, southward to Florida and Texas, and extends northward into Arkansas and Oklahoma. It is usually found growing in waste places, on roadsides and in open areas. Heartwood Color Brown Red Yellow Green/grey Purple Orange Pale brown Reddish brown Greenish to greyish The heartwood is described as purplish brown or light gray, with brown streaks Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown The sapwood is narrow and nearly white in color Grain Even Figure Straight Growth rings (figure) Distinct (figure) Straight Distinct figure Clear growth rings (figure) Grain is typically straight Texture Coarse Medium Fine Medium Medium coarse to coarse Luster Medium Natural Durability Durable Very durable Resistant to termites Susceptible to insect attack Resistant to powder post beetles Non-resistant to marine borers Non-resistant to termites Weathering Excellent Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Likely to have significant impact on machining Kiln Schedules US=T11D5 Drying Defects Checking Distortion Checking and other drying degrades are minor Ease of Drying Slowly Fairly Easy Thick Stock Requires Care Requires special attention Moderately Difficult to Difficult Easy Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Bark width is 5-10 mm The tree, which is described as a handsome, fast-growing ornamental and shade tree, is reported to resemble Catalpa. It attains a height of 60 to 80 feet (18 to 24 m), with a trunk diameter of 24 to 48 inches (60 to 120 cm). Boles are described as often short, and divides into wide-spreading branches. Product Sources The species has very little commercial value in the US. Quantities are limited on the US market, except for very small projects such as undertaken by craftsmen. Price is almost in the same range as Black walnut since the whitish wood is being exported to the Orient, especially Japan, for furniture and other special uses, including sandals. Comments The tree is named for Anna Paulownia (1795-1865), of Russia, princess of the Netherlands, and ancestor of the present queen. Blunting Effect High to severe The wood dulls cutters because of silica Boring Fairly difficult to very difficult Carving Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Saw teeth blunted rapidly and severely by some stock Easy to saw Mortising Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moulding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Movement in Service Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement Nailing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Holds nails well Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Responds well to hand and machine tools May tear if cutting edges are not kept very sharp Machining properties are affected by silica in the wood, but are rated as generally good Resistance to Abrasion High Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Easy to Work Responds well to hand tools Easy to machine Cutting edges may dull rapidly because of silica content Routing & Recessing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Sanding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Screwing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good screwing properties Good screw holding properties Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Painting Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Polishing Poor to Very Poor Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Polishing yields a satiny shine Staining Takes all types of finishes very well Varnishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Strength Properties Density (dry weight) = 15-22 lbs/cu. ft. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Density 18 lbs/ft3 Weight 18 15 lbs/ft3 Item Green Dry Metric Density 288 kg/m3 References Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No.5 Philippines and Japan,TRADA, Red Booklet Series Howard, A.L.,1948,A Manual of Timbers of the World.,Macmillan & Co. Ltd. London 3rd ed. Kline, M. 1982. Paulownia tomentosa - Royal paulownia. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 260-261. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Western Region. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York. Mangieri, H.G.,1970,Un arbol capaz de producir mayor volumen de madera en menor tiempo,paulownia tormentosa,Boletin Argentino Forestal 14(281) pp5-6