Photos of Paulownia tomentosa, Paulownia, candleabra tree, princess tree.

Paulownia tomentosa, Paulownia, candleabra tree, princess tree. Paulownia is native to East Asia, introduced into European horticulture in 1844, and arriving in the United States by 1847. Chinese legend holds that it is the only tree on which the phoenix bird perches. It is a good omen, as the phoenix only appears when a benevolent ruler leads the people. From Confucism, the highest attainment of an educated person is to become a junzi (chun-tzu), or man-at-his-best, a respectful and respected, perfected human being, a person of complete virtue. Paulownia is an emblem of the junzi.

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