Empress Tree vs Madame Lemoine White Lilac - TreeTime.ca

Empress Tree vs Madame Lemoine White Lilac

Paulownia tomentosa

Syringa vulgaris Madame Lemoine

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Empress Tree
Madame Lemoine White Lilac

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.

Madame Lemoine White Lilac is great for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. Winner of the Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, the Madame Lemoine White Lilac has fragrant white flowers that are great for cutting and blue-green foliage that turns yellow in the fall. This attractive shrub is also deer resistant.

Empress Tree Quick Facts

Madame Lemoine White Lilac Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 3a
Height: 9 m (30 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: very fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: high
Maintenance: high
Maintenance: high


Flowers: light purple
Flowers: white, fragrant
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: chinese empress tree, foxglove tree, princess tree, royal paulownia
Other Names: madame lemoine french lilac, mme lemoine lilac