Seed capsules of Paulownia tomentosa on January 5, 2016
As the year turns and the sun starts to head back from the south I count myself blessed that I followed such a wonderful tree in 2015. My empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa) has had something new to show every month and even now she is not exactly the same as she was when I first met her in Cardiff’s Bute Park, this time last year.
We have had one of the wettest Decembers in a century and the empress has been soaked through.
Empress tree in January 2016
Wet belly button
Wet feet
Cow parsley grows at the base of the tree and all around
The daffodils will soon be in bloom, even though it is only January
The empress has new flower buds alongside last year’s seed capsules
Unlike last January, which was dry, the seed capsules have not opened yet
These were the dry pods in January 2015
Wet brown pods on the ground in January 2016
Here are some of my empress highlights from 2015…
Downy flower buds in March 2015
Flower buds opening in April 2015
Young leaves in May 2015
Flowers in full bloom in May 2015
The old girl was at her best in May
In June 2015 the leaves grew to their full size
The petals fell and seed capsules also developed in June
In July I noticed a woodpecker nesting hole for the first time
The empress turned from purple to green in August
There was no clear-cut fall in 2015 and I can’t claim that the empress showed any decent autumn colour. The Paulownia leaves are so big that once they grew tired and messy they just fell off with very little grace.
Fallen leaves around the empress tree in early November
Seeds from a capsule cut open in December 2015
A last farewell to the empress this week
I was lucky with the empress (see all the posts here), just as I was lucky in the previous year with a hornbeam (see all the posts here). Something was going on all year round – an advantage with trees that flower early in spring, grow their leaves in summer and set fruit in autumn.
Now I must find a new tree for 2016 – I have a few ideas but I am not certain yet which will be suitable for the “long haul”. Watch this space!
If you don’t know what tree following is, read all about it here. And if you are already a tree follower, look out for your link-box on my blog on January 7. Remember you can choose a tree to follow at any time of the year and visit it as little or often as you like.
The Squirrelbasket 
Quite a lovely look back at a beautiful tree, SB! I love the bold branching structure as well as the blooms.
Now for a quick question: I began following my tree last March; I assume I am to continue at least till March? I have never quite understood when one chooses a new tree!
Thank you.
Of course, you can follow however and whenever you like!
March to March (or the end of February) is great, as it almost coincides with Spring starting. I know quite a few people find a tree when it starts coming to life again. It makes identification easier. Last year I thought my hornbeam was a beech until the catkins came out!
All the best for 2016 – and I hope you will follow on with another tree later in the year 🙂
Awesome thank you for sharing have a blessed day
Thank you – and happy new year to you and the doggies and all 🙂
What a pleasure it must have been following such a wonderful specimen.
I look forward to taking part in 2016 again. Still haven’t quite decided which tree to follow but I will get there.
Apologies for missing December’s post – I have done a wee update in my latest post.
Thank you. No apology necessary! I don’t want it to become a chore for anybody, so I am delighted even if someone posts just once or twice a year.
I’m glad you are carrying on in 2016. I haven’t chosen a new tree yet, either.
Feel free to link in a post when the link box opens tomorrow.
Happy New Year 🙂
It’s been fab reading your tree following posts Pat. Look forward to seeing your next choice!
Thank you!
By the way, I have just finished Assassin’s Apprentice on Kindle and enjoyed it – but I think they sneakily put the first few chapters of the next book on the end, so I just carried on and will probably have to buy the rest of Royal Assassin, too!
All the best for 2016 🙂
hahaha definitely sneaky Pat. I joined in a UK bookblogger secret Santa this year and received the second Fools Quest novel! Fab gift for me 🙂
Great if you haven’t already read it, of course.
And I now HAVE bought Royal Assassin, which was slightly on an offer anyway.
All the best 🙂
Greetings the cold (currently -34°C) North.
I got error messages the first few times I tried to add my link, but now it seems to have added it 3 times. Well, never mind.
This year I’ve decided to follow a birch in my new home town Älvsbyn in northern Sweden.
I have deleted the extra comments and links, so no problem!
I will be looking at your post soon 🙂
A great retrospective of your empress tree and especially so since I’m not familiar with it. But then again, that’s one reason we tree follow, isn’t it? To learn about other trees.