This exotic tree has the common name of Empress Emerald Tree. While I'm not sure why it got its name, I'd like to think it's due to one of the social history stories on dragontrees.com. This explains that in Japan a Paulinia tree is planted for the birth of each girl. When she marries, her wedding chest is made from the tree. So, my idea is that if in England, each dad thinks of their little girl as a princess, perhaps in Japan each father considers his daughter as an empress?
Whatever the origin of the common name (if you know, please leave a comment), the tree can be fast growing in the right conditions - up to 20 ft in a single year. While it is grown as an ornamental tree, it is also grown in China and North America for the light and strong wood it creates.
I have chosen this tree for the nodules that are all along the trunk and stems of the tree. I'm not sure why they're there and they didn't seem to be filled with resin. There seem to be colonies of algae and moss surviving in and around some of the nodules. I've never noticed this tree before and just thought this trunk was good to look at and feel. There's no deeper reason than aesthetics for this month's trunk!
Resources:
The Paulownia Tree Company - Fast Growing Paulownia Tree History. 2015. The Paulownia Tree Company - Fast Growing Paulownia Tree History. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dragontrees.com/dragonhi.html. [Accessed 31 October 2015].
Paulownia elongata - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2015. Paulownia elongata - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia_elongata. [Accessed 31 October 2015].
