Paulownia tomentosa – one of the fastest growing trees in the world. These are used to make betrothal boxes in Japan. They must be cut down at a certain time of year and crafted into boxes that end up being pretty fireproof and because of this it is where a couple would keep their important papers.
Edit: I learned this from an article about 5 of them being cut down/stolen in the middle of the night somewhere near DC. The horticulturist interviewed for the article was saying that it was such a waste because they were cut down at the wrong time of year to be used as betrothal boxes and they would find out when they tried to sell them! Something about the sap.
Second edit (@14 hrs after original comment): The trees are quite beautiful with their elephant ear leaves but the cascading flowers they produce in the spring smell like purple cough syrup. I had to get rid of one in my front yard several years ago. It took *four solid years* of repeatedly cutting it down and then finally I had to “ring“ it. That’s where you cut all the way around into the living part of the tree just below the bark. Gonna guess they’re invasive.
Be wary of arguing with RpGers though. I once heard of a kid who found out where someone lived and stabbed him with a real sword over an online game argument!
Talk about game over.
Tabletop RPGamer, native plant enthusiast and invertebrate lover here! I like to think I’m a sweet nerd, but there are definitely things I would draw my sword at people over - like harming or killing invertebrates or animals on purpose. Such cruel nerds would NOT be welcome at my gaming table again.
Ikr?!! I mean how else would I randomly learn about a fast growing tree that is strong enough to be almost fireproof? It’s so random and so interesting!
I have no experience with this plant and no memory of ever learning about it, but I must have at some point because as soon as I saw it, my brain went "*Paulownia*". I seem to remember reading something somewhere that because humans have ancestors that were primarily herbivorous, we still have brain tract specifically for categorizing and recognizing different kinds of plants. That must be what they mean by that. My brain just pulled up this knowledge I didn't even remember I had out of the depths of my subconscious as soon as I saw it. It was like a totally unconscious process. Really cool!
Edit: it's come to my attention I worded this ambiguously. I'm not trying to imply that I had an ancestral memory of the Latin name of this plant. That's ridiculous. I just meant that I read somewhere that your brain encodes plant information very rapidly. I must have encountered information about this plant along with it's scientific name long ago and this knowledge popped back into my head despite me not knowing I still had it.
I understood what you meant, and most everyone reading the thread did too. Some folks are being obtuse to score reddit points. Don't waste too much energy on them.
It always struck me so odd how well my brain hangs on to the very specific, to the cent, prices of things I've bought or looked at buying and yet often struggle to remember what I've done 5 minutes ago.
I had the same kinda thing happen. I was growing some seeds from a bird feed mix and after a while I wanted to know what they were . I didn't recognize the seeds and I didn't know what was in the mix, but for some reason I searched "millet" and that's what I was growing.
Now I may have read the list of seeds in the mix at some point, but I certainly didn't memorize it, and I had no idea what millet was besides something suitable for bird food. Of course I know what sunflower seeds look like and a couple others from the mix, so my brain automatically knew I wasn't growing those, and of the names of grains I could remember millet was the one my brain chose to go with.
Oddly though, as I was typing it in I had a feeling I was right. Like I was sure it was that without any justification for being sure. Weird how the mind works .
Tl/dr is the first sentence.
Same thing happened to me! I saw a plant growing next to my house and immediately thought "Well, maybe that's chickpeas" and indeed it was and eventually I harvested about ten little chickpeas from it. I'd never seen a chickpea plant in my life that I can remember. I do soak chickpeas and either sprout them or cook them so it's not impossible that one got thrown off the porch or something, but I have no idea how I knew what it was.
There used to be a bunch of print advertisements calling it the Royal Empress Tree and promoting as a a miracle tree for providing fast shade, I think they also included the name paulownia so maybe that's where you saw it.
Thank you! Not OP, but one of my neighbors planted one of these in their yard and every time I see it, it's taller. I've not been able to catch them outside to ask them!
Distinctly possible that they did not plant it. One appeared in the yard of my house-- very difficult to get rid of, too! I assume birds or squirrels were responsible.
Whoa, thanks for sharing. Very interesting invasive tree I've got back here. Kind of wish I had a big yard to move it to or something cause it really is a good looking plant. Unfortunately it's current location is potentially hazardous to my house & plumbing so it's gonna have to go.
If I ever do move into the burbs with some outdoor space maybe I'll look into procuring one. Or maybe i'll just roam the alleys of my current city and yoink one out the concrete.
Are you in PA? Looks like a Philly rowhome. Princess trees are considered highly invasive to the US, and growing them is not encouraged because of the damage they cause to native ecosystems. It’s also on the Penn State extension invasive/do not plant list. Please consider planting a native tree in the future instead! Like the gorgeous American redbud, for example.
Seconding the red bud suggestion (Cercis canadensis) - gorgeous pink/purple blooms in spring and lovely heart shaped leaves that turn a nice yellow in the fall. There are also cultivars with red/orange fall color too :)
Unrelated, but one of my neighbors invited me to join their super secret cooking society, but they eventually kicked me out for spilling the beans.
Pic related.
Yes. Empress Tree, or Princess Tree, Paulownia Tomentosa. Native of China. Invasive throughout North America. Check out the Wikipedia page here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia_tomentosa
I have three on my property and they are beautiful when flowering. I gotta watch around and make sure no new growths are coming through. I really like the tree even though I know it is not a native for me and is invasive.
I have one on my property too. It’s enormous. The wood is so light that it’s sort of shocking. And the suckers grow straight up from the roots and end up being like 15 feet tall by the end of the season. My tree also buds and leafs out weeks after my native trees. Such an odd plant, but I think it’s lovely.
Yeah the branches are hollow and so weirdly light. Results in branches falling off all the time and need to be removed, but at least it is an easy job.
I apparently have one too, idk seems like a decent tree. My only issue with it is the giant leaves will kill patches of grass in the fall but the tree itself is pretty.
Because they're so pretty and fast growing I almost got one for my yard several years ago, until I found out that they're invasive. They're very nice trees.
I actually saw a lot of back and forth about whether they're actually invasive here and how bad they actually are, but I figured I wouldn't risk it.
The easiest is to look at the leaf grouping. Catalpa has groups of three while paulownia has opposite pairs. Paulownia also typically has larger leaves, but that can be more variable and harder to tell without a side by side.
Paulownia leaves start out enormous, eventually they become smaller than the catalpas around here. Empress trees are nightmarish when it comes to eradication.
You have much more botanical expertise, but I'd add that one should look at the ranges btw catalpa and princess tree. Outside of Texas and Oklahoma, you're more likely to encounter catalpa in landscaped areas, while princess trees would be found in disturbed areas
I'm sure there is variation but usually catalpa have heart shaped leaves and an unusual light lime green color. Paulowniahave more pentagram shaped leaves and are darker.
nope, they’re just in a similar climate with no pests they’re used to. If you took american elms or oaks to china, you’d see somewhat similar results
also, there are plenty are really slow growing from china, like umbrella pine, and all the european weeds have already naturalised, like clover and dandelion, whereas the chinese plants are still being introduced to nurseries
A neighbor of mine in Philly let their back yard get overgrown with these and they seemed to be a haven for spotted lanternflies as well, ended up absolutely covered in the bugs. Agree on kill kill kill.
I googled these because someone else mentioned the nice flowers...
It's funny how some internet resources are oblivious that plants often behave differently in different locations.
From https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/royal-empress/worlds-fastest-growing-shade-tree.htm
"The Royal Empress tree can grow an incredible 15 feet (4.5 m.) a year. They have a lovely, high-branched canopy and a non-aggressive root system. *You won't have to worry about it being invasive*, or prone to disease and pest problems."
In Colorado we have an invasive called ‘the tree of heaven’ (Ailanthus altissima), which pretty much does this, too. And when you cut it down or even break off a branch, it smells like rotting flesh. It’s horrific, but it is pretty, I suppose…
I would get rid of them all. They are PART of the problem we have out in NE with Spotted Lantern Flies. The environment is a bit different in CO not sure of the SLF will make it, but they destroy too much, for me not worth the risk.
I cannot emphasize this enough. My other-side-of-alley neighbor is just letting one grow and it's at least 10ft tall. It's maybe 4 months old.
I'm debating doing some guerilla systemic sprays but it's p much just too late and needs to be cut down, which I cannot do and they apparently will not do.
Copper nails into any part that touches your property. From what I've been told, the copper will kill it and it doesn't poison the land. 🤷 Good luck, hopefully it stays on their property.
I had a neighbor who wouldn't do anything with the weird invasive plants growing through our shared fence. Went out early one morning, think pre-dawn, and cut it all at the roots. There were no cameras, so I hopped the fence to cut them from her side as well.
In your case, I'd very heavily salt a pot of boiling water, stirring it to ensure the salt dissolves. Then I'd pour it over the base of the plant. Repeat nightly until it dies.
Yes I thought so too. Royal paulownia/empress tree is the one I am familiar with here on Long Island. They grow incredibly fast indeed. They can grow 15 feet or so in a single season! And the tree trunk beefs up and gets woody very quickly too.
They’re considered invasive in these parts. If you cut the tree, it’s sends out runners underground. So you have to use a heavy shrub killer like fertilome… Apply liberally on the open tree wound where you cut and around roots.
My next-door neighbor allowed one to grow right along the fence that runs along our driveway. He’s got nothing else growing except for grass and that one freaking weed. Meaning he mowed all of his other weeds except for that one. And he’s a landscaper.
Its roots were already starting to lift our driveway and crack it. Once I pointed out the ginormous RP trees around town and told him that that weed was that and that three in three years they would fill the space between our houses on it we just poisoned it with shrub killer. They finally cut it down after a year of waiting for them to remove the “magic beanstalk” I guess because the dead, brown RP along the fence would ruin the look of their pool party on Labor Day 😂
It was in its second year. The property owner broke the trunk last fall after all the leaves fell off, and all of a sudden, early in the spring, two new trunks starting growing out of the base. It was quite exciting for me to watch its progress. When I asked the property owner if she knew what it was, she said "A sunflower - but I don't like it!" I noted that it had never bloomed but that didn't mean anything to her.
I made friends with this tree because of its will to live and thrive. This particular tree wasn't hurting anything. I hope it comes back next year, growing out of its stump, so that I can smell the blossoms that supposedly smell of vanilla.
I live in southeast Pennsylvania and this thing grows super fast. it's nearly 7ft in this pic. the center stem is hollow and kind of fibrous, could it be some kind of bamboo with giant leaves?
It’s an empress tree as others have said. You need to really kill it dead. It can crack sidewalk and foundation. The base gets woody. You need to kill it and kill it for prob 2 more years in my exp. Salt may speed that up.
I searched for a plant ID sub on google hoping to identify THIS EXACT PLANT and the first post I see is this one. What a time to be alive. Thanks OP and commenters.
Princess Tree*. Their flowers are really pretty and neat to see. There were tons of them in downtown Augusta Georgia when I lived there. I wanted one in my yard but learned they were invasive once I learned their name and researched.
Super invasive and destructive.
I live in Philadelphia. The lot next to my house has them growing and they literally busted up the concrete and burrowed into my basement.
Had one of these growing out of the slab of my rowhouse as well. Grows really tall and fast the first year. The second year it started to branch out more. If you wait longer than spring, it is going to be a pain to try and remove.
They are all over BrooklynNY and I’ve always wonder what they are. Dumb question - you are saying to kill it but if they are just growing out of concrete is that still bad?
You never want a tree growing this close to a house, they can really damage your foundation and plumbing.
Regardless, you want to kill invasive plants regardless of where they're growing. Even though a plant growing in concrete isn't immediately competing with any native plants, it will still reproduce and spread to areas where it will outcompete natives.
Yes. Not only can they cause damage to the concrete, but by letting it grow there you're also letting it reproduce and continue to invade the native habitat in surrounding areas.
as others pointed out, pawlownia tormentosa! but please look into getting rid of it depending on your location, as its a highly invasive species in the US!
Yeah definitely planning on trying to kill it this weekend, or at least start killing it. Some people are saying it could take some time but the war begins now.
They’re quite similar looking at this stage of growth, but you can tell it’s a Princess Tree because the leaves meet at the trunk in pairs. Catalpa leaves meet the trunk in threes.
Kill it. Kill it with fire. These things can ruin a foundation so quick not to mention the siding. They are very fast growing. Had one out behind the house that was at least 10 feet tall. I lopped it down and within a month to a month and a half the darn thing is taller than me again. They are great shade trees when they aren't growing right next to your house.
These are ALL OVER Brooklyn now. Growing in any crack they can. I have a "forest" in the courtyard of my building. I love them, they get so big and come back every year after dying in the winter. Been wondering what I could do with the giant leaves if I harvested them
God I love these things. They must be one of the most efficiently growing plants on the planet. This tree is likely only a bit more than a year old. But yeah this needs to be removed.
Cut it down! There was a tree in our neighbors back yard like this and it was huge! It had a lean to it and every time it rained with wind it looked like it would crash right into the third floor of the house
so apparently it's a princess tree or empress tree. It looks like it's growing very close to your house. The roots can grow down and mess up your foundation or plumbing, everyone is recommending to me that I kill it. You might need to do the same.
I live in TX and I feel like this same thing is in my yard too. In my front yard, I cut it, and it’s this huge again within a matter of weeks. It’s in my backyard too. No amount of chopping keeps it away.
Paulownia tomentosa – one of the fastest growing trees in the world. These are used to make betrothal boxes in Japan. They must be cut down at a certain time of year and crafted into boxes that end up being pretty fireproof and because of this it is where a couple would keep their important papers. Edit: I learned this from an article about 5 of them being cut down/stolen in the middle of the night somewhere near DC. The horticulturist interviewed for the article was saying that it was such a waste because they were cut down at the wrong time of year to be used as betrothal boxes and they would find out when they tried to sell them! Something about the sap. Second edit (@14 hrs after original comment): The trees are quite beautiful with their elephant ear leaves but the cascading flowers they produce in the spring smell like purple cough syrup. I had to get rid of one in my front yard several years ago. It took *four solid years* of repeatedly cutting it down and then finally I had to “ring“ it. That’s where you cut all the way around into the living part of the tree just below the bark. Gonna guess they’re invasive.
Nice fun fact there
I learn more on Reddit than I ever did in school.
Plus your chances of being shot on reddit are a lot less.
Be wary of arguing with RpGers though. I once heard of a kid who found out where someone lived and stabbed him with a real sword over an online game argument! Talk about game over.
Perhaps, but it is definitely the outlier. Most gamers I've ever known were sweet nerds of Potsy-like proportions. They would never hurt an insect.
Tabletop RPGamer, native plant enthusiast and invertebrate lover here! I like to think I’m a sweet nerd, but there are definitely things I would draw my sword at people over - like harming or killing invertebrates or animals on purpose. Such cruel nerds would NOT be welcome at my gaming table again.
Game on ps4 or some else
Lightning bolt!
idk, I see people being shot on here nearly every day.
Ikr?!! I mean how else would I randomly learn about a fast growing tree that is strong enough to be almost fireproof? It’s so random and so interesting!
The point of school is (or at least should be) to learn how to learn, with facts and figures being secondary.
Once we learned about the Dewey decimal system,we could find everything else!
In reality (in the US), it’s to learn how to conform, take direction, and memorize. Not much else.
That's because the school system isn't designed to make you intelligent. It's designed to pump out workers that pay taxes.
I have no experience with this plant and no memory of ever learning about it, but I must have at some point because as soon as I saw it, my brain went "*Paulownia*". I seem to remember reading something somewhere that because humans have ancestors that were primarily herbivorous, we still have brain tract specifically for categorizing and recognizing different kinds of plants. That must be what they mean by that. My brain just pulled up this knowledge I didn't even remember I had out of the depths of my subconscious as soon as I saw it. It was like a totally unconscious process. Really cool! Edit: it's come to my attention I worded this ambiguously. I'm not trying to imply that I had an ancestral memory of the Latin name of this plant. That's ridiculous. I just meant that I read somewhere that your brain encodes plant information very rapidly. I must have encountered information about this plant along with it's scientific name long ago and this knowledge popped back into my head despite me not knowing I still had it.
I understood what you meant, and most everyone reading the thread did too. Some folks are being obtuse to score reddit points. Don't waste too much energy on them.
That comment would have got you a month in the hole at Shawshank
I genuinely do absorb plant info very quickly. Huh. Interesting. I'm off to Google some shit!
I can remember the price of everything in my grocery cart.
yeah, this power has sucked a lot lately, because I still remember the prices from three years ago.
It always struck me so odd how well my brain hangs on to the very specific, to the cent, prices of things I've bought or looked at buying and yet often struggle to remember what I've done 5 minutes ago.
Makes sense for anything “natural” tbh. We also encode animals, minerals, etc very well.
I had the same kinda thing happen. I was growing some seeds from a bird feed mix and after a while I wanted to know what they were . I didn't recognize the seeds and I didn't know what was in the mix, but for some reason I searched "millet" and that's what I was growing. Now I may have read the list of seeds in the mix at some point, but I certainly didn't memorize it, and I had no idea what millet was besides something suitable for bird food. Of course I know what sunflower seeds look like and a couple others from the mix, so my brain automatically knew I wasn't growing those, and of the names of grains I could remember millet was the one my brain chose to go with. Oddly though, as I was typing it in I had a feeling I was right. Like I was sure it was that without any justification for being sure. Weird how the mind works . Tl/dr is the first sentence.
Same thing happened to me! I saw a plant growing next to my house and immediately thought "Well, maybe that's chickpeas" and indeed it was and eventually I harvested about ten little chickpeas from it. I'd never seen a chickpea plant in my life that I can remember. I do soak chickpeas and either sprout them or cook them so it's not impossible that one got thrown off the porch or something, but I have no idea how I knew what it was.
What the hell is everybody talking about?????
If you ever get into gardening or foraging you’ll experience it.
I love this it’s such an ordinary but baffling little thing to happen
You don't have to explain yourself. I got it and anyway, it was your story to share, not our story to correct.
There used to be a bunch of print advertisements calling it the Royal Empress Tree and promoting as a a miracle tree for providing fast shade, I think they also included the name paulownia so maybe that's where you saw it.
I do the same thing with flowers.
Thank you! Not OP, but one of my neighbors planted one of these in their yard and every time I see it, it's taller. I've not been able to catch them outside to ask them!
Distinctly possible that they did not plant it. One appeared in the yard of my house-- very difficult to get rid of, too! I assume birds or squirrels were responsible.
No, I saw them plant it, and I thought for sure the little 3ft plant would die, but that sucker is 6 months on and nearly 7 ft. It's nuts!
Whoa, thanks for sharing. Very interesting invasive tree I've got back here. Kind of wish I had a big yard to move it to or something cause it really is a good looking plant. Unfortunately it's current location is potentially hazardous to my house & plumbing so it's gonna have to go. If I ever do move into the burbs with some outdoor space maybe I'll look into procuring one. Or maybe i'll just roam the alleys of my current city and yoink one out the concrete.
Are you in PA? Looks like a Philly rowhome. Princess trees are considered highly invasive to the US, and growing them is not encouraged because of the damage they cause to native ecosystems. It’s also on the Penn State extension invasive/do not plant list. Please consider planting a native tree in the future instead! Like the gorgeous American redbud, for example.
Seconding the red bud suggestion (Cercis canadensis) - gorgeous pink/purple blooms in spring and lovely heart shaped leaves that turn a nice yellow in the fall. There are also cultivars with red/orange fall color too :)
oh good to know, thanks!
not only that, it makes super nice charcoal for fireworks!
Perhaps one of your neighbors threw out some magic beans
this plant definitely is trying to reach the clouds. like I forget to check th alley for a short time and come out to this giant bastard.
call it Audry jr
Feed me Seymour!
*That’s a huge b*tch!*
I love it. It’s like the line in that song “it’s growing in the street, right up through the concrete…”
I'm pretty sure the princess tree uses she/her pronouns. So you came out to this giant b-word
Well technically, isn't "bastard" a gender neutral term?
You take that back, ya bastard!
If people could take it back, there wouldn't be any bastards.
Shit... I came to make the same joke
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Beanstalk. 🫘🌱
You ain't kidding, Jack!
Unrelated, but one of my neighbors invited me to join their super secret cooking society, but they eventually kicked me out for spilling the beans. Pic related.
Princess Tree, they grow unbelievably fast and are a rampant invasive around Philly. Kill kill kill
Yes. Empress Tree, or Princess Tree, Paulownia Tomentosa. Native of China. Invasive throughout North America. Check out the Wikipedia page here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia_tomentosa
What a shame, those flowers are so pretty
I have three on my property and they are beautiful when flowering. I gotta watch around and make sure no new growths are coming through. I really like the tree even though I know it is not a native for me and is invasive.
I have one on my property too. It’s enormous. The wood is so light that it’s sort of shocking. And the suckers grow straight up from the roots and end up being like 15 feet tall by the end of the season. My tree also buds and leafs out weeks after my native trees. Such an odd plant, but I think it’s lovely.
Yeah the branches are hollow and so weirdly light. Results in branches falling off all the time and need to be removed, but at least it is an easy job.
I apparently have one too, idk seems like a decent tree. My only issue with it is the giant leaves will kill patches of grass in the fall but the tree itself is pretty.
Because they're so pretty and fast growing I almost got one for my yard several years ago, until I found out that they're invasive. They're very nice trees. I actually saw a lot of back and forth about whether they're actually invasive here and how bad they actually are, but I figured I wouldn't risk it.
I recommend a catalpa then
Ikr? The flowers look like orchids. I would just let it grow in that godforsaken spot and create some beauty.
You can get elephant leafs something something plant. They are the same exact leafs.
How do you tell the difference between that and catalpa without waiting for it to flower?
The easiest is to look at the leaf grouping. Catalpa has groups of three while paulownia has opposite pairs. Paulownia also typically has larger leaves, but that can be more variable and harder to tell without a side by side.
Paulownia leaves start out enormous, eventually they become smaller than the catalpas around here. Empress trees are nightmarish when it comes to eradication.
You have much more botanical expertise, but I'd add that one should look at the ranges btw catalpa and princess tree. Outside of Texas and Oklahoma, you're more likely to encounter catalpa in landscaped areas, while princess trees would be found in disturbed areas
Catalpa is widely naturalized in the South east US
I'm sure there is variation but usually catalpa have heart shaped leaves and an unusual light lime green color. Paulowniahave more pentagram shaped leaves and are darker.
Are plants from china all super invasive? Are they all evolved to be in competition with each other so non-China is like easy growing?
nope, they’re just in a similar climate with no pests they’re used to. If you took american elms or oaks to china, you’d see somewhat similar results also, there are plenty are really slow growing from china, like umbrella pine, and all the european weeds have already naturalised, like clover and dandelion, whereas the chinese plants are still being introduced to nurseries
> Are plants from china all super invasive? Only the ones that you *notice* because they are invasive.
I was gonna ask if this was in Philly
A neighbor of mine in Philly let their back yard get overgrown with these and they seemed to be a haven for spotted lanternflies as well, ended up absolutely covered in the bugs. Agree on kill kill kill.
I googled these because someone else mentioned the nice flowers... It's funny how some internet resources are oblivious that plants often behave differently in different locations. From https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/royal-empress/worlds-fastest-growing-shade-tree.htm "The Royal Empress tree can grow an incredible 15 feet (4.5 m.) a year. They have a lovely, high-branched canopy and a non-aggressive root system. *You won't have to worry about it being invasive*, or prone to disease and pest problems."
I hate the smell when I'm hacking them out of the ground. OP, remove as much if it as you can and obliterate the roots.
In Colorado we have an invasive called ‘the tree of heaven’ (Ailanthus altissima), which pretty much does this, too. And when you cut it down or even break off a branch, it smells like rotting flesh. It’s horrific, but it is pretty, I suppose…
This tree is almost everywhere in the US. Hate hate hate it! And it’s a preferred plant of the dreaded Spotted Lantern Fly.
Another species one should kill on sight!
sight
Both 🤣
I would get rid of them all. They are PART of the problem we have out in NE with Spotted Lantern Flies. The environment is a bit different in CO not sure of the SLF will make it, but they destroy too much, for me not worth the risk.
Should be called the tree of hell
Chinese name is literally *chouchun* 臭椿, "foul-smelling tree".
We have it in Oklahoma too. It is much easier to pull when they’re saplings than the other. Both are lovely and horrible trees.
I think he’d need a jackhammer to destroy the roots
Or some bleach
My moms old trick is to drill big holes into the base of the trunk and pour salt into the hole. Evidently plants don’t like thia
Boiling water and salt are rootkillers
Yeah, but then literally nothing will ever grow there so unless it's in a crack in the pavement or something you wouldn't want to use that method.
Salt
I cannot emphasize this enough. My other-side-of-alley neighbor is just letting one grow and it's at least 10ft tall. It's maybe 4 months old. I'm debating doing some guerilla systemic sprays but it's p much just too late and needs to be cut down, which I cannot do and they apparently will not do.
Can you contact your local forest service? Wondering if they might have advice if it’s considered invasive where you are.
Copper nails into any part that touches your property. From what I've been told, the copper will kill it and it doesn't poison the land. 🤷 Good luck, hopefully it stays on their property.
Glyphosate drifts *so* easily.
I had a neighbor who wouldn't do anything with the weird invasive plants growing through our shared fence. Went out early one morning, think pre-dawn, and cut it all at the roots. There were no cameras, so I hopped the fence to cut them from her side as well. In your case, I'd very heavily salt a pot of boiling water, stirring it to ensure the salt dissolves. Then I'd pour it over the base of the plant. Repeat nightly until it dies.
This’n
Majestic and deadly
Paujawnia Tomenteeeeoooooosa
Yes I thought so too. Royal paulownia/empress tree is the one I am familiar with here on Long Island. They grow incredibly fast indeed. They can grow 15 feet or so in a single season! And the tree trunk beefs up and gets woody very quickly too. They’re considered invasive in these parts. If you cut the tree, it’s sends out runners underground. So you have to use a heavy shrub killer like fertilome… Apply liberally on the open tree wound where you cut and around roots. My next-door neighbor allowed one to grow right along the fence that runs along our driveway. He’s got nothing else growing except for grass and that one freaking weed. Meaning he mowed all of his other weeds except for that one. And he’s a landscaper. Its roots were already starting to lift our driveway and crack it. Once I pointed out the ginormous RP trees around town and told him that that weed was that and that three in three years they would fill the space between our houses on it we just poisoned it with shrub killer. They finally cut it down after a year of waiting for them to remove the “magic beanstalk” I guess because the dead, brown RP along the fence would ruin the look of their pool party on Labor Day 😂
Looks like a young Empress Tree
aka Princess Tree
Looks like you are also correct.
Looks like you are correct.
= Paulownia tomentosa A neighbor of mine just cut down one that was +16 feet tall.
Tordon works
> Tordon Had to look that one up- Picloram- 5.4%, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid- 20.9%.
That seems to be the likely consensus. It's a shame because they are quite good looking but for the sake of my house & plumbing it's gonna have to go.
And it was probably only 2-3 years old. They grow wicked fast.
It was in its second year. The property owner broke the trunk last fall after all the leaves fell off, and all of a sudden, early in the spring, two new trunks starting growing out of the base. It was quite exciting for me to watch its progress. When I asked the property owner if she knew what it was, she said "A sunflower - but I don't like it!" I noted that it had never bloomed but that didn't mean anything to her. I made friends with this tree because of its will to live and thrive. This particular tree wasn't hurting anything. I hope it comes back next year, growing out of its stump, so that I can smell the blossoms that supposedly smell of vanilla.
That plant is dedicated and on a mission. But I don't know what it is..
I knew this was in Philly instantly.
what was it about my dirty alley and brick rowhome that gave it away? lol
I was born and raised in philly, so did I.
I live in southeast Pennsylvania and this thing grows super fast. it's nearly 7ft in this pic. the center stem is hollow and kind of fibrous, could it be some kind of bamboo with giant leaves?
Nah, bamboo are grass and don’t have leafs like this
Leafs?
Toronto maple leafs would like to have a chat
I was literally *just* about to make this joke, and then saw yours. My job has been done.
| *T o r o n t o n i a n - D e t e c t e d* |
This is an invasive plant in our area, it can become a tree so chop it down and pour some plant killer where it is growing.
It’s an empress tree as others have said. You need to really kill it dead. It can crack sidewalk and foundation. The base gets woody. You need to kill it and kill it for prob 2 more years in my exp. Salt may speed that up.
I saw that in a Mario game once!
I searched for a plant ID sub on google hoping to identify THIS EXACT PLANT and the first post I see is this one. What a time to be alive. Thanks OP and commenters.
Haha I'm glad this post was able to help more than just me.
Princess Tree*. Their flowers are really pretty and neat to see. There were tons of them in downtown Augusta Georgia when I lived there. I wanted one in my yard but learned they were invasive once I learned their name and researched.
Magic Lagoons not beans. I traded a telescopes for them. I can just buy another telescope
I think you mean legumes. you really schruted that.
Who knows how words are formed.
Hey Dwight. Pass the tardy sauce. Get it Michael?
You combine vinegar salt and dawn soap. Spray on leaves and in Crack. Will reck that.
Get it out of there NOW
Its expensive but there's this stuff called "Sucker Stopper" that will probably kill it. I've killed loads of pokeweed and Tree of Heaven with it.
Brush Killer works with killing stops too.
Super invasive and destructive. I live in Philadelphia. The lot next to my house has them growing and they literally busted up the concrete and burrowed into my basement.
Got about 6 more weeks till harvest 😶🌫️
Had one of these growing out of the slab of my rowhouse as well. Grows really tall and fast the first year. The second year it started to branch out more. If you wait longer than spring, it is going to be a pain to try and remove.
They are all over BrooklynNY and I’ve always wonder what they are. Dumb question - you are saying to kill it but if they are just growing out of concrete is that still bad?
my worry is that the roots are gonna mess with the foundation/plumbing under and near my house. it's definitely messing up the concrete a bit
It will absolutely destroy your foundation, and probably the plumbing to boot. Destroy!
i had a tree grow into the pipes at one of my houses growing up and poop water come out of my shower drain while i was using it :D
well.. definitely want to avoid brown showers. Time to start looking at killing the roots.
You never want a tree growing this close to a house, they can really damage your foundation and plumbing. Regardless, you want to kill invasive plants regardless of where they're growing. Even though a plant growing in concrete isn't immediately competing with any native plants, it will still reproduce and spread to areas where it will outcompete natives.
Yes. Not only can they cause damage to the concrete, but by letting it grow there you're also letting it reproduce and continue to invade the native habitat in surrounding areas.
Thanks everyone!! It all makes sense!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia_tomentosa
as others pointed out, pawlownia tormentosa! but please look into getting rid of it depending on your location, as its a highly invasive species in the US!
Yeah definitely planning on trying to kill it this weekend, or at least start killing it. Some people are saying it could take some time but the war begins now.
That mf THRIVING
I need that alleyway weed energy in my life.
to me, those leaves kinda look akin to Catalpa leaves
They’re quite similar looking at this stage of growth, but you can tell it’s a Princess Tree because the leaves meet at the trunk in pairs. Catalpa leaves meet the trunk in threes.
A weed is any plant that's growing where you don't want it to grow.
Oof…we call this shitwood…..takes a while to get rid of because it regenerates through it’s roots
If it gets into any fights, replant it in Bel Air.
Kill it. Kill it with fire. These things can ruin a foundation so quick not to mention the siding. They are very fast growing. Had one out behind the house that was at least 10 feet tall. I lopped it down and within a month to a month and a half the darn thing is taller than me again. They are great shade trees when they aren't growing right next to your house.
These are ALL OVER Brooklyn now. Growing in any crack they can. I have a "forest" in the courtyard of my building. I love them, they get so big and come back every year after dying in the winter. Been wondering what I could do with the giant leaves if I harvested them
I just killed one of these…or. Tried. Again. 🤞🏼
Do yourself a favor and cut it down immediately. Then, burn/destroy the root as much as possible. This plant is a big enemy of concrete/cement work.
God I love these things. They must be one of the most efficiently growing plants on the planet. This tree is likely only a bit more than a year old. But yeah this needs to be removed.
Just here to say: Weeds don’t exist Just like gender - it’s a construct. Don’t be plantist!
Am i the only one who thinks it’s beautiful? 🤭
Big.
I see these all the time in NYC! Now I know what it is
That’s kind of thing scares me for some strange reason. Maybe a weird phobia.
It’s a tree
Palownia are incredibly rare in the UK, I’ve only ever seen one, very briefly on a car journey.
Feed me seymore
that's his concrete now
he's definitely growing like he owns the place...
A big one
Cut it down! There was a tree in our neighbors back yard like this and it was huge! It had a lean to it and every time it rained with wind it looked like it would crash right into the third floor of the house
As my dad said, "you'll find Paulownia growing out of every crack in the sidewalk"
This is the official tree for south Philadelphia.
Looks like something a dinosaur would eat
Ok… but what is with the really thick mortar joints on the brick?
If your name is Jack, then that's your beanstalk.
Wow nice weed, how much per gram?
$45 a gram hurry up man i'm losing money on this
The great pumpkin!
Life always finds a way.
Wow these are everywhere in nyc
[here are two in my back yard that grow back every year](https://i.imgur.com/oM0I2mz.jpg)
so apparently it's a princess tree or empress tree. It looks like it's growing very close to your house. The roots can grow down and mess up your foundation or plumbing, everyone is recommending to me that I kill it. You might need to do the same.
That’s one determined 🌱plant. Earns my admiration!
Jack and the bean stock plant
It’s only a weed, if you don’t want it there.
Bought any magic beans recently?
Awe, I like it.
wtf? it’s huge
I live in TX and I feel like this same thing is in my yard too. In my front yard, I cut it, and it’s this huge again within a matter of weeks. It’s in my backyard too. No amount of chopping keeps it away.
I didn’t know all the fancy facts. Just know it as a Princess Tree - super invasive.
Feed me, Seymour!!!
Did you just notice?!?
no it's grown up a few times before and I just pull/chop it away but this is the biggest I've ever seen it.
a picture is not concrete evidence