Characteristics of Paulownia Wood

   Paulownia is a deciduous hardwood that has silky, light golden – blonde colored wood. Even though the trees grow very fast, the grain of the finished wood has a lot of character. Paulownia takes stain well, and can easily resemble Mahogany or Walnut with the use of the right stain.

   Paulownia wood is dimensionally stable. It is not subject to warping, cupping or splitting, even when exposed to outdoor elements. Paulownia has machining and woodworking characteristics similar to that of Northwestern Red Cedar. The wood is very stable, affected little by humidity and moisture. Paulownia has a natural resistance to termites.

   Native-grown Paulownia is a lightweight wood – usually 17 to 21 lbs per cubic foot. Plantation-grown Paulownia is even lighter by approximately 5 lbs per cubic foot. For comparison, Appalachian Red Oak is 39 to 41 lbs per cubic foot. Paulownia typically air-dries in 30 to 60 days without cupping, warping, cracking or splitting. Kiln drying takes only 30 to 60 hours, thereby providing a substantial savings in energy costs.

   It is resistant to decay and rotting, provided it is not in permanent contact with the ground or concrete. In addition, it is highly tolerant to fire. The ignition temperature is 420C to 430C as compared to other hardwood species, which ignite at 220C to 225C.

   The thermal conductivity of Paulownia wood is low, giving it excellent heat/cool insulation properties. It can withstand a low temperature of -10 degrees Fahrenheit and high temperatures up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

   Paulownia trees can produce sizeable sawlogs and plylogs in 8 to 10 years. Once the trees are harvested, new plantlets will sprout from the old cutoff stump, and its still viable root system. Subsequent timber crops can be cycled on a continuous basis for many generations.