Addendum A1 Page A1-1

Paulownia – The Time has Come

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The Paulownia is truly a remarkable flora solution to some of the world's most pressing social,
environmental and economic problems.

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The supply of lumber and the raw material for wood and paper-
related products is forever dwindling. It has been estimated that
95% of our first-growth forests here in the United States have been
cut in the last 100 years.
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1.. Human consumption: Temperate and tropical forests are being
destroyed (for one reason or another) at alarming rates.
a
a.. Cleared and burned for grazing land;
b
b.. Commercial lumber harvesting;
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c.. Used for home heating and for cooking fuel;
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d.. Natural disasters such as fires and floods ravage hundreds
of thousands of acres every year. Most of these activities
cause serious erosion and loss of topsoil.
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2. Government regulations: In an effort to protect endangered
plant and animal species - and to comply with the pressures of
public opinion -- more and more forestlands are being taken out
of production by government mandates.
3.
3. Private and government acquisition: Private individuals are
purchasing more and more forestlands for their own enjoyment.
Many private foundations are purchasing land and converting
them to ecological preserves. Governments have and will
continue to convert more forestlands to "public lands."

4
4.. Very slow replacement time. With most
commodities, when the demand goes up,
producers simply plant more acreage of corn or
wheat or the oil companies pump more oil. With
these examples -- and with most commodities --
the "turn around time" is a matter of months. In
the lumber business, the turn around time from
planting to harvesting, is usually a matter of
2- Year Old Stand in
Queensland, Australia decades.

© 2000,2001 Paulownia Reforestation Project, Aquarius EcoSystems, Eco Ranchos, & Pacific Tree Company
Addendum A1 Paulownia Reforestation Project Page A1-2

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Mankind has always and will always have an insatiable appetite for wood and wood products.

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1.. Population growth: By the simple fact of the steadily increasing human
population, there is a concomitant increase in the need for wood (wood
for heat, cooking fuel, shelter, furniture, tools, art supplies, and musical
instruments, as well as for construction related wood products.)
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2.. Related products. Wood is needed in the production of various products
such as rubber, resins, quinine, turpentine and cellulose. As more wood-
dependent products are developed, the demand will increase.
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3.. Paper-related products. As commerce steadily increases so does the
need for more shipping containers, usually made of cardboard. While
recycling satisfies part of the need, it can not keep up with the demand.
With the advent of the personal computer with printer and FAX, using
reams of paper is no longer considered excessive, but rather is now a
basic home necessity (to be used for the children's homework and the
family business).

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Basic business economics makes it clear that the most desirable place to be is in the middle between a long
term, decreasing supply, and a steadily increasing demand. To plant Paulownia is the way to enter the world
lumber market as one of the relatively few "middlemen"/producers/suppliers (without purchasing a forest or
waiting 30 to 40 years). To be among the first to plant Paulownia as an Agro-forester means you will be among
the first to market, and means you will receive among the highest price for your product. This is the opportunity.
Waiting for forests to naturally regenerate takes far too long, and is not
economically feasible. To speed things up, various methods of reforestation
are employed (propagating and re-planting harvested forest regions). These
practices have shortened the re-growth of a forest region, nonetheless, it still
requires 35 to 45 years.
To further shorten the time from germination to harvest, scientists have
helped to develop faster growing pine varieties. However, this method still
takes 20 to 30 years (depending on all the variables - soils, climate, cultural
practices, etc.). To date, the fastest, most effective method for growing wood
bearing trees is agro-forestry. This is the planting of wood producing trees on
tree farms or orchard-type plantations. Among the fastest growing, wood
producing trees in the world are various species of eucalyptus, poplar and
Paulownia. The eucalyptus wood is primarily used for cellulose and firewood.
Paulownia
Poplar wood is used as a low cost wood for doors, windows and molding.
Paulownia is the highest quality of the fast growers (there are also slow growth species of the Paulownia). Of
course, as with any wood, the older the wood at harvest the higher the quality (more "character" to the wood)
and the higher the price.

© 2000,2001 Paulownia Reforestation Project, Aquarius EcoSystems, Eco Ranchos, & Pacific Tree Company
Addendum A1 Paulownia Reforestation Project Page A1-3

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1.. The Paulownia can be coppiced
(harvest the tree by cutting it off near
ground level and another tree will
begin to grow from the same root
system). This can be done several
times (4 to 6 times) during the life of
the tree.
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2.. When the root-ball of Paulownia is
harvested, the remaining root
system will produce from 40 to 60
root cuttings, which are propagated
for market as new growing stock.
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3.. Intercropping. Because Paulownia
has a vertical root system, growers
can plant annuals between the rows
Blooming Paulownia -- Intercropped with Wheat
of trees for diversified income if
desired.
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4.. The wood is a lightweight hardwood, straight-grained, free of knots, very stable, light in color, easy to work
(mill, sand, carve, etc.), and very easy to dry and with less drying defects.
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5.. In autumn, the fallen leaves can be used as nutrient-rich stock feed, or as a component of high-grade
compost to enrich the soil.
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6.. The large surface area of the Paulownia's broad leaves take-in correspondingly large amounts of carbon
dioxide, and give out correspondingly large amounts of oxygen.
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7.. The ornamental beauty of the
Paulownia is displayed in its
cascades of blue to pink shades of
blossoms (depending on the
species) for 4 to 6 weeks during
the spring, and these flo wers
produce excellent honey.
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8.. Water sensitive roots will not
invade sewer or water pipes.
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9.. Can be used for furniture, veneer,
boxes for shipping, particleboard,
doors & windows, musical
instruments, picture frames, toys,
fishing net floats, and for shoes.
1
100.. The wood is also very stable in
wet/humid environments, and is
highly durable and decay resistant.

© 2000,2001 Paulownia Reforestation Project, Aquarius EcoSystems, Eco Ranchos, & Pacific Tree Company
Addendum A1 Paulownia Reforestation Project Page A1-4

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Scientific:
Family -- Scrophulariaceae.
Genus -- Paulownia.
Species -- Fortunei, Kawakamji, Tomentosa,
Taiwaniana, Songata, Fargesil,
Catalpifia.

Common name for genus:

Empress tree
Royal Paulownia
Royal Princess tree
Cotton tree
Kiri (Japan)
T'ung (China)

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The Paulownia has been grown in China for at least 2600 years. Some ornamental varieties can be found in the
northeastern seaboard states of the United States. These trees were most likely accidents, started from the
seeds used as packaging material in shipments received from China in the late 1800's or early 1900's. When
China opened its doors after the Cultural Revolution, an Australian timber company began collecting different
types of Paulownia. After more than 9 years of research, and $2 million in development costs, the Australians
successfully identified over 30 high performance Paulownia clones suited to a wide range of end use
applications. The Paulownia fortunei select #2 is one of these varieties that has performed exceedingly well in
desert microclimates.

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• Lightweight (14 to 18 lbs. per cubic foot)
• Strong
• Outstanding resonant qualities.
• Extremely stable (resists warp/crack/deform)
• Light color; silky smooth finish
• Grain: fine, straight, knot-free
• Easy to work. (no chipping or tear-out in pla ning)
• Does not require kiln drying
• Takes stains well
• 12% moisture

© 2000,2001 Paulownia Reforestation Project, Aquarius EcoSystems, Eco Ranchos, & Pacific Tree Company
Addendum A1 Paulownia Reforestation Project Page A1-5

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• Veneer constitutes one of the highest value markets
• Furniture and cabinet making also bring high value
• Logs for wholesale export market
• Plywood, particleboard, and flakeboard
• Paneling and folding partitions
• Musical Instruments due to excellent resonance.
• Toys
• Pulp
• Poles
• Pallets, boxes, and crates
• Core material (laminated small stock)
• Molding and picture frames
• Packing material (natural insulation, biodegradable packing -- no odor or taste)
• Beehive construction
• Wicking material for evaporative coolers
• Activated charcoal for filtration systems
• Lightweight partitions in airplanes and ships
• Fishing net floats
• Dairy farm bedding

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• Mulch and soil amendment

6 Month Old Leaf • Fodder -- Nutritional value similar to alfalfa: appropriate fodder Mat ure Lea f
for cattle, goats, sheep, and rabbits, with a protein level of 20% 6-9 in. (15-23 cm) across
with 60% digestibility. Shade -- The value of shade, particularly
for intercropping purposes, is difficult to put a value on,
however, is certainly one of its more priceless aspects.
• Air Purification -- Leaves are nitrogen fixing and very large.
The size of the leaves "inhale" correspondingly large amounts
of carbon dioxide and "exhale" large amounts of oxygen
• Healthcare -- A decoction of Paulownia leaves have been used
in China to manage the delirium of typhoid fever, a wash for
sores, and to cure swollen ankles and feet.
• Mushroom compost -- Abalone mushrooms can be grown in a
medium made from Paulownia leaf mulch for growing in sheds
during summer months.

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• Honey production
• Beautification
• Aroma and fragrance
• Packaging material (seeds)
• Herbal medication -- Flowers are used to
cure ailments of the liver or bile, which cause
dizziness. Strangely enough, when the
flowers are mixed with scrambled eggs, a
medication for treating bronchitis is
produced.

© 2000,2001 Paulownia Reforestation Project, Aquarius EcoSystems, Eco Ranchos, & Pacific Tree Company
Addendum A1 Paulownia Reforestation Project Page A1-6

© 2000,2001 Paulownia Reforestation Project, Aquarius EcoSystems, Eco Ranchos, & Pacific Tree Company