In China, an old custom is to plant an Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa) when a baby girl is born. The fast-growing tree matures when she does. When she is eligible for marriage the tree is cut down and carved into wooden articles for her dowry. Carving the wood of Paulownia is an art form in Japan and China.Photo cropped for size from the source image at McKinley and Associates.
That's a very cheering picture - I've just planted a young Paulownia Tormentosa (in the UK we call them foxglove trees) in the garden of my new house, in the hope that it'll grow fast and provide beautiful displays in the spring. Right now it's a stick - I look forward to it blooming in years to come!
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