Empress Tree vs Flowering Raspberry - TreeTime.ca

Empress Tree vs Flowering Raspberry

Paulownia tomentosa

Rubus odoratus

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Empress Tree
Flowering Raspberry

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.

The Flowering Raspberry is an ornamental shrubby plant that blooms with fragrant light purple flowers throughout the summer and has a large, decorative foliage of bright green leaves. The flowers resemble that of a wildrose, and the foliage turns a bright yellow in the fall. This cultivar produces small red raspberries, similar to that of a thimbleberry, but the fruit is mostly tasteless.

The Flowering Raspberry, also known as Virginia Raspberry or Purple-Flowered Raspberry, makes a great hedge plant and is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard.

Empress Tree Quick Facts

Flowering Raspberry Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 3a
Height: 9 m (30 ft)
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: very fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: high
Maintenance: high
Maintenance: high


Bark: thornless orange
Flowers: light purple
Flowers: purple
Berries: red to purple, seedy
Firmness: firm
Flavor: tasteless
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: chinese empress tree, foxglove tree, princess tree, royal paulownia
Other Names: purple-flowered raspberry, virginia raspberry