Name that Leaf!!! Please?

aartwmich · Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 5:13 pm Post subject: Name that Leaf!!! Please?

Got this huge leaf today at the farmers market (it was a great day at the farmers market, sold leaves, took an order, and got a job offer to do drawings for a huge solar power project!!) from a local resident, alot of people say "oh you should cast these big leaves in my yard!" I tell them to "bring it!", but they never do. Well, today they came back, they only live a few blocks from the market, and layed two of these puppies on me.

I picked the best one..... and tho it was wilting when they brought them and didn't perk up being put in water they never wilted much beyond this, even 6 hours later...and covered it in concrete, cause what else do you do with a bigass leaf?

But I cannot google out what it is, they didn't know so I am hoping here in the garden pix forum ( I know it's not really a garden pic, but where else would I go??)some savvy gardener will take me to school...anyone know what it is?

It's 22'' at it's widest and 16'' from the tip to the stem(which is cut off in the pic)....hollow stem. It's some kind of tender perennial as it dies back every fall here in zone 5 then shoots up to 12-15' by July.

Here's the back of it.

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Insatiably Curious
Anne (the 'e' is silent) aka aartwmich

Funart · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 10:21 am Post subject:

Looks a lot like a squash or curcurbit family to me... but bigger than grows in our desert climate of arizona!

I have a masters degree in agriculture... but that doen't help, you are in a different world from the one I live in! Any chance of getting a flower from the plant?

aartwmich · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 11:22 am Post subject:

They didn't mention a flower...total non-gardeners(I suspect), they called it a 'tree'. Guess I'll have to wait until I see them again and hopefully go see the plant myself
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Insatiably Curious
Anne (the 'e' is silent) aka aartwmich

aartwmich · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 5:25 pm Post subject:

Mystery solved!

Most likely it's Paulownia tomentosa AKA Empress tree, Foxglove tree, Princess tree, Royal pawlonia.

Grows as a tree in zones 6 and up where it's often considered invasive, acts like a tender perennial here in Michigan dying back in fall then resprouting around the base in spring. I think I got a pretty good cast off of it....my biggest concrete leaf yet.
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Insatiably Curious
Anne (the 'e' is silent) aka aartwmich

AnitaKittel · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 8:18 pm Post subject:

Anne,

Sorry I didn't see your post earlier. I've been off line since July 15th. My computer was kit by lightning and I just bought and set up a new computer today.

Yes, I believe you are correct. It looks like a Paulownia tomentosa AKA Empress tree. I've only seen a few small trees at Countryside Greenhouse. They die back in the winter up here in Michigan.
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Anita Kittel