How to identify Empress Tree
Identify Empress Tree by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Huge heart-shaped leaves and tall purple foxglove-like flower spikes (empress tree).
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Opposite.
- Confirm leaf shape: Cordate.
- Confirm flower colour: Blue/purple.
- Confirm fruit type: Capsule.
- In India, compare location records such as Rajasthan.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Paulownia tomentosa
- Genus
- Paulownia
- Family
- Scrophulariaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Native to
- China
- Found in India
- Rajasthan
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.“This tree grows 10–25 m (33–82 ft) tall, with large heart-shaped to five-lobed leaves 15–40 cm (6–16 in) across, arranged in opposite pairs on the stem.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- CordaterecordedHeart-shaped, with a notch at the base.“This tree grows 10–25 m (33–82 ft) tall, with large heart-shaped to five-lobed leaves 15–40 cm (6–16 in) across, arranged in opposite pairs on the stem.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- LobedrecordedThe edge is divided into rounded or pointed sections that don't reach the midrib.“This tree grows 10–25 m (33–82 ft) tall, with large heart-shaped to five-lobed leaves 15–40 cm (6–16 in) across, arranged in opposite pairs on the stem.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Empress Tree itself; the rest are typical of the Scrophulariaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Blue/purplerecorded
- Fruit type
- CapsulerecordedA dry fruit from a fused ovary that splits open at maturity to release seeds.“The fruit is a dry egg-shaped capsule 3–4 centimetres (1+1⁄8–1+5⁄8 in) long, containing numerous tiny seeds.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Empress Tree itself; the rest are typical of the Scrophulariaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Empress Tree
A member of the Scrophulariaceae family, Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Rajasthan.
Uses
In practice it is cut for timber and furniture, planted as an ornamental and harvested for fodder.
Scrophulariaceae
Figwort family
Empress Tree belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Scrophulariaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Empress Tree or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides