It is the time of the year that our resident female monarch (Paulownia tomentosa) is showing off her collection of fancy gowns and fine jewelry. If you head back a young specimen to ground (stooling) every winter, you will never get the jewelry(flowers), but you will be rewarded with gigantic tropical-looking leaves about two feet across on next year’s new shoots.

Coincidentally, Paulownia is the only wood of choice for making the traditional Chinese zither, or Guzheng (古筝). Here is a short Youtube video of a Chinese maestro playing a favorite piece: The Fishermen’s Evening Song (渔舟唱晚).