Crazy Sunflower? - Ask Extension
We have a volunteer plant near our bird feeder that showed up initially 4 years ago. I cut it down every winter and it just keeps coming back bigger ...
Knowledgebase
Crazy Sunflower? #810684
Asked September 13, 2022, 7:51 PM EDT
We have a volunteer plant near our bird feeder that showed up initially 4 years ago. I cut it down every winter and it just keeps coming back bigger every year. Last year it was over 15 feet tall, and I cut it to a stump which you can see in the picture. The first picture is from May 4th, the second from May 30, and the third is September 13th. We think it’s a sterile sunflower as it does not flower, just grows! What do you think? Thank you!
Marion County Oregon
Expert Response
Dear Jay,
Thank you for contacting us about your unknown plant. From your photos, I believe you have an Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa), a fast-growing deciduous tree that originated in China.
This tree can grow 15 feet in one year. It has shallow, aggressive roots that grow equally fast and may cause damage. The tree is considered invasive in Oregon as well as many other states.
https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/paulownia-tomentosa
To stop the tree from re-growing, I suggest you cut it to the ground right now (before the leaves begin to turn or drop). Paint the cut stump with glyphosate within 24 hours of cutting. Concentrate on the area of the cambium just under the bark. If the tree does resprout next spring, let it leaf out and then cut it to the ground again, using the same glyphosate treatment.
If you have additional questions, please write again.
Thank you for contacting us about your unknown plant. From your photos, I believe you have an Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa), a fast-growing deciduous tree that originated in China.
This tree can grow 15 feet in one year. It has shallow, aggressive roots that grow equally fast and may cause damage. The tree is considered invasive in Oregon as well as many other states.
https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/paulownia-tomentosa
To stop the tree from re-growing, I suggest you cut it to the ground right now (before the leaves begin to turn or drop). Paint the cut stump with glyphosate within 24 hours of cutting. Concentrate on the area of the cambium just under the bark. If the tree does resprout next spring, let it leaf out and then cut it to the ground again, using the same glyphosate treatment.
If you have additional questions, please write again.
