Subject: Paulownia and Re: Central Coast/Cal Poly

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 17:23:23 -0500 (EST)

Hey Akiva!

Have you considered the paulownia tree ("Sapphire Dragon") for your sight?
 It's requires full sun, provides shade, and encourages diversity so it's a
good pioneer species.  Although it's definitely not a native species (native
of China), it has lots of potential as it grows quickly.  Here's some info.
adapted from a Sapphire Dragon flyer written by Australian Chris Lucas:

"In the first year a paulownia seedling can exceed 10 feet.  (2nd year: 15
feet and blossoms)  By the third year it's at its final height of 25 feet.
 And, it's orchid-like flowers emit a fragrance that attracts birds.
"The paulownia can be used for timber to make furniture to instruments.  It
also can be used to rehabilitate degraded farmland and can be harvested in
4,8, and 10 year cycles. There are also different varieties of Paulownia that
may be more suitable to your conditions. 
" In China, the Paulownia has used in growing high quality food crops.
 Because of their deep, straight multiple tap roots, plowing can occur within
18 inches of tall, straight, clear high value timber trunks.  Their 50% light
to shade canopy conserves water by holding in humidity, and creates ideal
growing conditions during hot summer months.  When nutrient rich leaves  drop
each fall enriching topsoil, the forest canopy opens creating ideal growing
conditions for full-sun winter crops.  Paulownia intercropping provides a
steady supply of renewable resources.

For more info. call (916) -723-6217or write Sapphire Dragon  8690 El
Sobrante, Orangeville, CA 95662.  A single tree can be purchased for $19.95 +
$5 for shipping/handling.

Although I do not have any specific experience with this plant you can
contact Joseph Smythe at [email-masked] who is affiliated with the Sapphire
Dragon company.

Cheers,   
Carrie Colello-Gleason
  
PS  AKIVA! Remember me? Carrie or "Laughing Bear".  It was great to hear
you're doing such great work out there.  I'd love to come and help out, but
alas, a continent divides us.  (Hehehe!)   Also, the info. on the paulownia
tree came from joseph smythe who  was at the the course in the early portion.
 I spent some time talking with him, and he gave me a video about the tree
that I definitely recommend.  He's a good guy.
Anyhow, keep up with all your planting!

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From: Loren Davidson <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 14:43:12 -0800

>Have you considered the paulownia tree ("Sapphire Dragon") for your sight?

Pawlonia, from what I've been able to gather from the literature, etc.,
requires a fair amount of irrigation (minimum 10 gallons per week per tree?)
in order to attain the advertised 10+ feet per year.  While this will pose
no problem in some parts of the country, in California results may be
somewhat less optimal without irrigation during the dry season.

There are some folks here in northern CA who are currently experimenting
with pawlonia; in the year or two they've been growing the trees, they have
not attained the advertised growth rate.  Given the short test time and
small data sample, I'm not sure that any conclusions can be drawn yet.

Pawlonia purchased from Sapphire Dragon can be gotten for somewhat less per
tree if you buy in quantities > 2, according to the price list I saw.  There
are other cultivars of pawlonia available, and I've even seen seeds listed
for sale in case you want to do your own work growing them.  I believe that
Johnny's Selected Seeds might carry them (www.johnnyseeds.com(?)).

I think that the jury is still out on the suitability of pawlonia for Pc
design in California's seasonal drylands climate zones.  I would be
interested in hearing what results are being gotten in California (or
similar climate zones) from people who are either not irrigating the trees
or who've integrated them into a Keyline or other Pc-friendly system.

Loren
--
Loren Davidson      
[email-masked]         http://www.batnet.com/beauty/
"In the Army, they give you a medal for spraying NAPALM on people.
In civilian life, they'll throw you in jail for giving someone an orgasm..."
				-George Carlin on Prostitution

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From: Loren Davidson <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 14:43:12 -0800

Loren

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From: "April Sampson-Kelly" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 11:42:53 +1100

On our last site we had massive growth in one year (12 feet after planting
it at 3 feet high)
It does not require full sunlight, it did this well in the shade of another
house and on
a southern slope (subtropical)
my only caution is that it can sucker if root system gets distrubed.  I have
not seen this myself though,
it is just what others have told me.

April