Empress Tree vs Arrowwood - TreeTime.ca

Empress Tree vs Arrowwood

Viburnum dentatum

Paulownia tomentosa

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Arrowwood
Empress Tree

Arrowwood is a cold hardy, reliable, and vigorous shrub that can easily grow on difficult sites. Featuring an upright, rounded, and multi-stemmed form, this shrub produces creamy white flowers against a backdrop of deep green, serrated foliage.

The flowers give way to dark, blue berries that will attract wildlife to your yard. Depending on the plant, Arrowwood's striking fall color can range from yellow, red to reddish-purple.

Many use Arrowwood for naturalization or mass planting projects but, more commonly, you'll see this simple yet elegant shrub as a shrub border or planted on its own.

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.

Arrowwood Quick Facts

Empress Tree Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 5a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 9 m (30 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: very fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: medium


Flowers: light purple
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, PE
Other Names: chinese empress tree, foxglove tree, princess tree, royal paulownia