Grown from purchased seed about fifteen years ago, this tree took a while to develop but now is vigorous with impressive compound leaves. Like the nearby Idesia trees, I cut this back hard early each spring so that it stays shrub-sized with large, tropical-looking leaves. This is a treatment introduced to me from Christopher Lloyd in several of his books. He used this treatment with Catalpa trees and Paulownia trees, especially in his tropical beds. For me, it has been a way to incorporate precious tree seedlings into a yard that doesn’t have room for any more full-sized trees. Even with a deep pruning, the plant tops out at about twelve feet each year.
My 2020 plans, as noted with Idesia, are to keep on top of this tree’s vigorous growth while changing the area around it. I plan to redo the garden bed with natives and head back some of the marauding raspberries.