Earliest Record
There are many legends about the magnificent Paulownia Tree, the first one was written over three thousand years ago! The Erh-ya, a Chinese encyclopedia of natural and cultural objects contains the earliest written record of the Paulownia Tree. Around 1000 B.C., the Erh-ya praises the Paulownia with reference to its beauty and the "glorious Paulownia wood." It is the only known record of the prehistoric Chinese lore of natural history and is greatly attributed to Chou Kung, duke of Chou and the son of the first ruler of the Chou Dynasty.

Although the Paulownia is a native of China it quickly became an important part of another ancient culture when it was introduced to Japan. The Japanese people embraced this sacred tree and set about discovering the many uses of Paulownia. The Paulownia wood survived repeated drying and soaking, and was even reported in a manuscript dating as far back as 1049 A.D. that the wood of the Paulownia lasts longer than pine, fir, or oak! The unique qualities of this wood made it suitable for a vast array of objects in their culture. Besides furniture, beams and pillars in houses, ornamental carvings, wooden bowls and spoons, the Paulownia wood also found itself being used for musical instruments because of it¹s incredible resonant qualities.Nomenclature Westerners first learned about the Paulownia when Swedish botanist Karl P. Thunberg documented it on a visit to Japan in the 1770s. It was named in honor of Anna Paulownia, the granddaughter of Catherine the Great and wife of Willem II, king of the Netherlands from 1840 to 1849. From its association with her, the Paulownia also gets its popular name, the princess, or Empress™, tree.

Birth and Betrothal
Perhaps the best example of respect for the Paulownia, however, is the tree's link to the ritual of marriage. On the occasion of the birth of a daughter, the father would plant a Paulownia. The tree grows quickly-as much as 16 feet a year-and by the end of a decade can reach a height of 40 feet. When the daughter was betrothed, the Paulownia was felled and the lumber used to make a tansu, or dowry chest. The other parts of the tree were also used to make furniture, ornaments, musical instruments and decorator items for the extended family. Finally, the toppings of the tree were used for firewood and ground cover.

With every part of the tree put to use, it was thought to bring "Good Fortune" to the house and all who entered. The tradition thrived until the 1970s, when blight wiped out the Japanese Paulownia.

Good Fortune
Since the end of World War II, the Chinese have credited the "economic recovery' of the lumber industry in their country to the "Good Fortune" of the Paulownia tree. They have continued to plant the Paulownia tree and in the past five years alone, have planted over 1. 2 billion trees for agro forestry and lumber production.

The Phoenix
According to Chinese legend, the tree was an omen of good fortune because of its association with the phoenix, a mythical bird that regenerated itself in fire. The phoenix must have been as picky as a pampered cat of today, because it would alight in only the very choicest of Paulownia trees and appear only when a benevolent ruler was in power. The Paulownia thus was cultivated extensively to encourage the appearance of the phoenix.

Today, the tree's bark, wood, flowers, fruits, and leaves still are used in traditional Chinese medicine to promote growth of hair, darken graying hair, reduce swelling in the feet, heal bruises, and treat patients suffering from hallucinations and delirium

The Thundering Fish
In China, uncultivated Paulownia grow only in very remote temperate regions, primarily in open, marginal areas of forests, where they share habitat with such "living fossil' trees as the ginkgo and sequoia (which can be seen in the Zoo's Beaver Valley). In the past, these regions were also home to isolated communities of Taoist and Buddhist monks, whose members were well versed in the natural history of their surroundings. Centuries ago, a monk carved a fish from the wood of a Paulownia. The carving, which produced a deep, thunderlike sound when struck with a stick, was hung just inside a temple gate and used as a bell to summon the monks and to scare away evil demons. Today, a fish-shaped Paulownia bell still is used in many Buddhist monasteries to summon the monks and keep the evil demons away.

Chun-Tzu: Of Complete Virtue
The Paulownia has continued to hold special meaning for the Chinese even into recent times. Before Mao Tsetung came to power, Chinese intellectuals gathered for companionship in groves of Paulownia. An educated Chinese aspired to become chun-tzu, a man of complete virtue. Because the living Paulownia has soft, brittle wood that becomes hard and strong after it is cut, the Chinese considered the tree to have a tender heart and steady character, the very essence of chun-tzu.

Order of the Paulownia Sun
The Paulownia became so revered in Japan that its leaves and flowers were incorporated into the Order of the Paulownia Sun established in 1888 by Emperor Meiji. The honor is bestowed on those who have demonstrated outstanding civil or military merit. Generally awarded to high-ranking diplomats, generals, and admirals, and the highest honor Japan can bestow on a foreigner, it was presented to General Douglas Macarthur in 1960.