Eastern White Pine vs Empress Tree
Pinus strobus
Paulownia tomentosa
Eastern White Pine is a large pine native to eastern North America. It is the provincial tree of Ontario.
This long-lived, rapid growing giant is known for its long, flexible blue-green needles. Eastern White Pine is low-maintenance and makes a beautiful ornamental tree suitable for large properties and parks.
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.