What are the characteristics of the Paulownia tree
This article provides a brief introduction to the characteristics of Paulownia trees and the experience of green plant maintenance, let's take a look!
Paulownia, known for its "a plant of green jade stands, a thousand leaves green clouds" has been deeply loved by the Chinese people since ancient times. It is often regarded as a symbol of "auspiciousness", "gentleman", "knowing autumn", and "love". Legends say that phoenixes like to perch on Paulownia trees, so people like to plant Paulownia trees to hope for "planting Paulownia trees to attract golden phoenixes".
Tree档案
Paulownia, also known as green Paulownia, is a deciduous tree of the Paulownia family Paulownia genus. The trunk is straight, the bark is smooth and green. The leaves are heart-shaped, palmately 3-5 lobed. The paniculate inflorescence, the flowers are unisexual, light yellow-green. The fruit capsule splits into leaf-like shape, spoon shape. The seeds are like beans, grown on the inner edge of the fruit skin. It is produced in the north and south of China, and also in Japan. It has a beautiful shape, grows fast, and is an excellent courtyard绿化 species. The wood is light and tough, a good material for making musical instruments. The bark fibers can be used for papermaking and weaving. The seeds can be eaten after roasting and pressed for oil. The stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds can all be used as medicine, with the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying.
Paulownia, also known as green Paulownia, is a deciduous tree of the Paulownia family Paulownia genus, produced in the north and south of China. The trunk of the Paulownia tree is straight, the bark is smooth and green, the branches and leaves are dense, it is adaptable, grows fast, is often planted in the courtyard or used as a street tree, and is a famous traditional tree in China.
Paulownia, as a tree loved by the Chinese people, has a planting history of more than 3000 years. It was first recorded in "The Book of Songs·Wind·Dingzhi Fangzhong" as "planting榛栗, Yizhi桐漆, love to cut musical instruments". Bai Juyi described Paulownia as "a plant of green jade stands, a thousand leaves green clouds" and fully displayed the beautiful posture of Paulownia's green leaves, green trunks, and Wutong shade. Paulownia not only has a beautiful appearance but also carries the images of "auspiciousness", "gentleman", "knowing autumn", and "love", connecting with some legendary stories and emotions, thousands of years in an instant, shuttling through ancient and modern times, crisscrossing China, waiting for Paulownia to tell slowly.
Paulownia symbolizes auspiciousness
Paulownia trees provide shade and attract phoenixes naturally. Because of the beautiful legend of attracting phoenixes, Paulownia trees have been regarded as auspicious trees by generations of Chinese people, becoming the embodiment of auspiciousness.
Paulownia trees have the magical charm of attracting phoenixes, which can be traced back to "The Book of Songs·Da Ya·Volume A" as "The phoenix cries, on that high mountain. Paulownia grows, on that sunny side". Later generations of literati and scholars developed the legend of Paulownia attracting phoenixes and created many famous articles and good sentences. For example, Zhuangzi's "Zhuangzi·Outer Chapters·Autumn Water" records, "The young phoenix flies from the South China Sea to the North China Sea, and it does not stop except on Paulownia trees, does not eat except for bamboo food, and does not drink except for sweet spring water." The "Book of Jin·Fu Jian's Record" records that "There is a saying in Chang'an: 'The phoenix, the phoenix stops at Afang Palace.' Fu Jian planted hundreds of thousands of Paulownia and bamboo plants in Afang Palace to wait for them because the phoenix does not perch except on Paulownia trees and does not eat except for bamboo food." The saying "Plant Paulownia trees to attract golden phoenixes" comes from this. Chen Zhao of the Northern Song Dynasty wrote in "Tongpu·Xieyuan First" that "The phoenix is a bird of benevolence and auspiciousness, and it does not perch on strong and evil trees. Paulownia is a soft tree, with delicate and brittle bark, branches and twigs that are supportive and soft, so the phoenix does not perch except on Paulownia trees." Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty wrote in "To Rao Yang Zhang ShuHu" that "How can I know the meaning of the phoenix, far relying on the chair桐前", expressing people's yearning for a better life. Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty wrote in "Autumn Thoughts" that "The fragrant rice pecked by the parrot, the green Paulownia perched by the old phoenix", and the name of the private garden "Residue Garden" in Suzhou is derived from this sentence.
Since ancient times, the phoenix has been the king of all birds, the embodiment of truth, goodness, and beauty. As the only place for it to perch, the Paulownia tree has become the outstanding auspicious tree among trees, bringing happiness and good luck to its owner. Therefore, people in past dynasties liked to plant a large number of Paulownia trees to pray for auspiciousness and luck. Even today, in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, there is still a "Three Kings Picture" circulating, namely, the phoenix, peony, and Paulownia. The phoenix and peony are both auspicious objects, and the Paulownia is ranked with them, showing its auspicious connotation. At the same time, folk New Year pictures often depict deer, cranes, and Paulownia, symbolizing the "Spring in All Directions", and the Paulownia is also revered as an auspicious tree.
With the changes of the times, the meaning of the saying "Plant Paulownia trees to attract golden phoenixes" has also changed. The original meaning of "Plant Paulownia trees to attract golden phoenixes" is to plant Paulownia trees first to attract phoenixes to live. Now it is used as a metaphor that as long as one has a good environment at home, there is no need to worry about not attracting talents, usually used for attracting investment and talents. This saying is also abbreviated as "building nests to attract phoenixes", metaphorically creating conditions to attract talents.
Paulownia symbolizes knowing autumn
Paulownia leaves have credibility, "立秋" arrives, and Paulownia leaves fall. It seems that Paulownia has a spiritual perception, perceiving early autumn and the first to fall leaves, so the falling of Paulownia leaves indicates the arrival of autumn. Wang Xiangjin of the Ming Dynasty wrote in "Eryu Pavilion Group Fragrance谱" that "On the day of "立秋", if a leaf falls first at a certain time, it is said that "a leaf of Paulownia falls, and the world knows autumn". Therefore, there are sayings such as "a leaf falls and knows the world autumn" or "a leaf knows autumn", which is a simple scientific cognition of the phenological period and climate change规律 of trees by ancient people. Li Zhong of the Tang Dynasty wrote in "New Autumn Thoughts" that "Autumn is cool in the door and alley, and a leaf of tall Paulownia falls", Si Ma Guang of the Song Dynasty wrote in "Paulownia" that "At the first sound of a leaf falling, I know that the ninth autumn has come", Zheng Yuanduan of the Yuan Dynasty wrote in "Paulownia" that "Paulownia leaves in autumn first arrive, rustling rustling to the tree鸣", etc. All these poems contain the image of桐叶知秋.
A leaf knows autumn, heralding the arrival of autumn, and autumn is a season that makes people sad and thoughtful, a season that can feel the decay of life. Therefore, a leaf knows autumn also contains the meaning of sadness for autumn. The crown of the Paulownia tree is large, the branches and leaves are dense, the autumn wind blows, and the leaves of桐 fall one after another, the sound of falling leaves, the autumn meaning is stronger, adding to people's melancholy. The "Huainanzi" says: "Seeing a leaf fall and knowing that the year is coming to an end", Liu Han of the Song Dynasty wrote in "菩萨蛮·去时满地花阴月" that "When leaving, the ground is full of flower shadows and moonlight, and when returning, the leaves of Paulownia have fallen", between this coming and going, a year of time passes, making people feel the time is flying and life is short. Li Yu, the last ruler of the South Tang Dynasty, wrote in "相见欢" that "Silently going up the west楼, the moon is like a hook. The loneliness of the Paulownia deep courtyard locks the clear autumn", Zhu Shuzhen of the Song Dynasty wrote in "菩萨蛮·Autumn" that "The sound of autumn rises when the leaves of Paulownia fall, the chirping of crickets adds desolation", Zhao Changqing of the Song Dynasty wrote in "卜算子·Autumn deep" that "Where is the most aware of autumn, the wind is in the Paulownia well", Xu Zaishi of the Yuan Dynasty wrote in "Shuangtiao·Water Immortal子·Night Rain" that "A sound of Paulownia, a sound of autumn, a point of banana, a point of sorrow, three o'clock after returning to dream", and so on, all use the falling leaves of Paulownia to express the author's sense of loss, separation, and loneliness.
The "Paulownia Phoenix Picture"
Paulownia symbolizes gentleman
The straight trunk, graceful branches and leaves, smooth and green bark, and lush canopy of the Paulownia tree easily make people think of the upright and noble character of a gentleman, so Paulownia has been regarded as a symbol of a gentleman since ancient times. For example, "The Book of Songs·Xiao Ya·Dankou" says, "Its桐Its chair, its fruit is separated. Gentle and gentle gentlemen, none are commanded仪", using桐 to inspire and praise the majestic appearance of gentlemen. Zhuangzi's "Zhuangzi·Inner Chapters·De充值符" records that Zhuangzi often "leans on a tree and chants, and leans on a withered Paulownia and closes his eyes", and "Zhuangzi·Qi Wu Lun" also records that "Zhao Wen's playing the zither, Shi Kuang's using a stick, Hui Zi's leaning on Paulownia, the three sons' wisdom is almost the same". It can be seen that Hui Zi likes to lean on a Paulownia tree to talk eloquently, and when tired, he lies down on a table made of Paulownia wood and closes his eyes to rest, which shows the meaning of a gentleman to Hui Zi. Li Qiao of the Tang Dynasty wrote in "Paulownia" that "A lone show in Yin Yang岑, towering out of the forest", the towering Paulownia out of the forest symbolizes a gentleman with a noble style. The "Fengshen演义" also says with deep feeling, "All the hearts of the sages of thousands of years are given to the three-meter Paulownia wood", Paulownia is like a gentleman with a open-minded, pure-quality, and noble spirit, clear and bright, towering and extraordinary. Lu Shou of the Qing Dynasty recorded in "Xu TaiPing广记·Flower and Wood Department" that "Dongpo said: 'All trees are solid in the inside and虚 in the outside, only Paulownia is the opposite.' Try to cut its small branches, they are all solid like wax, and their inside is empty." The虚心实外 is not the noble quality pursued by gentlemen.
Early autumn Paulownia "a leaf knows autumn"
Paulownia symbolizes love
Through thousands of years, looking at Paulownia, the phoenix that "does not stop except on Paulownia" is still unseen to perch. Tracing the root, scientific thinking, the phoenix is just an animal totem with beauty, auspiciousness, kindness, and virtue created by the primitive society's unlimited worship of nature, like the dragon, it is a bridge for human beings to communicate with nature. Although the phoenix only exists in legends, throughout the ages, the planting of Paulownia is still popular, and the sayings and allusions of "Paulownia providing shade to attract phoenixes", "a leaf knows autumn", and "autumn rain Paulownia" are still widely used in our lives, showing that the image of Paulownia symbolizing "auspiciousness", "gentleman", "knowing autumn", and "love" has deeply imprinted on the hearts of the Chinese people.
The above is the full content of the characteristics of Paulownia trees and a brief introduction to Paulownia trees, hoping to help green plant enthusiasts!