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Why won’t my Paulownia tree blossom?

Hi, Marianne,
I have an 18 year old Paulownia tree, about 40 feet tall with a 30 foot spread. Although it’s a pain to rake up the elephant ear size leaves in the fall, it provides great shade for the patio and BBQ all summer long. For a few years it also had beautiful clusters of purple blossoms, but hasn’t in recent years. Is there something I can do to enhance blossoming in terms of care and fertilizing? Help me bring back the blossoms and I’ll throw a shrimp on the barbie for you. Thanks.

Posted by on October 13, 2014

Marianne's Response

Sometimes trees do not flower due to lack of fertilizer or water or a cold spring that damages blossoms. You can try adding Osmocote plant food in the spring, but if a cold spring damages the buds there is no easy fix. Try to notice if other trees in the neighborhood are also without blossoms. If so, you can blame the weather and hope for a change. Keep Growing, Marianne Binetti