River Birch vs Empress Tree - TreeTime.ca

River Birch vs Empress Tree

Betula nigra

Paulownia tomentosa

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

River Birch
Empress Tree

River Birch has beautiful, peeling, brown bark that reveals camel-colored and pink beneath. It is more borer resistant than white bark birches, which makes it a much longer-lived landscape tree.

The Empress Tree is a fast growing, ornamental shade tree. It has purple, fragrant flowers that are quite attractive. The flowers emerge before the leaves in early spring. The leaves of this tree can grow very large, up to 30 cm long.

As one of the fastest growing trees in the world, this tree has been given considerable attention for carbon sequestration projects. It drops many seeds which can make it invasive in warmer climates. Please do some research and plant the right tree in the right place.

The Empress tree’s genus name comes from Princess Paulowna, daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia.

River Birch Quick Facts

Empress Tree Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 5a
Height: 12 m (39 ft)
Height: 9 m (30 ft)
Spread: 5 m (16 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: very fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: medium


Bark: dark gray-brown or pinkish-brown and scaly
Flowers: light purple
Seeds: tiny winged seeds located within the catkins
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: yes
Catkins: no


Other Names: black birch, water birch
Other Names: chinese empress tree, foxglove tree, princess tree, royal paulownia