Sunday, 22 December 2013

The Importance Of Paulownia Trees

By Harriett Crosby


Paulownia trees are one of best hard wood plants in the world. These species hail from China. However, they are found all over the world. The American people started growing this plant back in the 1880s. They had just received the seedling of the plant from Chinese merchants who used to transit from their country to America on yearly basis. Interestingly, the merchants brought the seedling to America unknowingly. They just wrapped their wares with the Paulownia leaves which would then shed seeds during transit. On arrival to America, the seeds would be thrown away to farms. They then grew on their own to wonderful woods the Americans see today. Since then, the Americans have experienced numerous benefits as explained below.

The growth of these species in areas which experienced high intensities of soil erosion has proved to very beneficial to farmers. The trees have protected farms against any soil abrasion. Their roots could stretch so deep strengthening the soil around it. The soil particles would cling together so strong that no external influence would affect it.

Paulownia trees purify the air we breathe. This is done by its large leaves which purify dust and smoke particles which are near them. For instance in America and China, the tree is used as the main species for afforestation. This is because the said countries experience high concentration of smoke and dust pollution and Paulownia is the only tree which can efficiently purify this polluted air.

When it comes to provision of timber, Paulownia does its best. The tree provides a distinct type of wood which is hard in nature. This wood has straight grains and does not rot easily. The demand for this wood is high. Indeed China has about two and half million trees all meant for commercial purposes. These woods are easier to grow as they sprout from the stump once the mature one has been harvested.

Paulownia trees were scientifically known to form a micro climate during dry spells. They did so by transpiration process where they absorbed water from underground wells and evaporate it to the surrounding area through their leaves. This meant that any plant grown near the tree could survive the dry spell. This is because air around it would be made humid by the evaporation process from the Paulownia tree.

Bee keeping as an economic activity is best supported by this wood. The plant produces purple white flowers with magnificent scent which attracts bees. Numerous farmers in countries like China and Singapore have set up bee hives atop these trees. Bees have inhabited such hives and the results have been a wonderful accumulation of honey in the hives. They harvest such honey and sell to consumers. Through such activity they have been able to earn their livelihood all thanks to this wonderful tree.

Shelter as a basic need has been necessitated by the availability of this wood. The wood has for ages been used to make log homes and furniture. People love to this wood because it is very light to use as a building material. Moreover it is not affected by termites thus it does not rot easily. Also, it is readily available in the market.

Farmers who grow Paulownia trees and keep livestock highly rarely do struggle to search for the animals feed. The reason is that the plants do produce large leaves which can be cut to form food of the animal. The leaves are very nutritional as they are very rich in proteins and fiber.




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