Paulownia elongata 'Futuro' 23cm / 5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

Foxglove Tree 'Futuro'

Paulownia elongata 'Futuro'

Name: Paulownia elongata 'Futuro'
Brand: GROW TROPICALS
SKU: PAUWELON17
Price: 23.49 GBP
Availability: InStock

£23.49 £27.99 SAVE 16%

Hardy in the UKSun-loving

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Description

Few hardy exotics deliver drama as fast as Paulownia elongata 'Futuro', a selected, vigorous form of the celebrated foxglove tree. Reckoned to be among the fastest-growing trees in the world, this paulownia tree can put on a metre or more in a single season, making it the go-to choice when you want big, bold structure in a garden in a hurry. Known variously as the foxglove tree or empress tree, it earns its place in the Hardy Exotics range on the strength of its enormous heart-shaped leaves and, on mature specimens, spires of fragrant lilac flowers.

There are really two plants here, depending on how you grow it. Left to grow on as a tree, 'Futuro' forms a handsome, upright specimen of 8-12 m, crowned in late spring with panicles of pale lilac-purple, foxglove-like blooms that appear before the leaves on the previous year's wood. Coppice or pollard it hard each spring instead, and all that vigour is thrown into a few shoots clothed in spectacular, velvety leaves that can measure 40-60 cm across, an instant jungle effect for a temperate plot.

How and where to grow

Give it a warm, sheltered position in full sun, which suits both leaf size and flowering. As a UK-grown paulownia tree uk gardeners can rely on, this is a genuinely hardy plant, withstanding around -15C once established (roughly RHS H5), with roots tough enough to reshoot even after a hard winter.

Aspect: full sun, sheltered from strong winds
Soil: any fertile, free-draining soil, including chalk and clay; avoid winter wet
Size: 8-12 m as a tree, or 2-3 m with giant leaves if coppiced

Water well through the first couple of summers while the deep roots establish, after which Paulownia elongata becomes notably drought-tolerant. A spring mulch keeps young plants happy and protects the roots over their first winter.

Every plant is grown on and carefully selected for healthy roots and strong, even growth, so your foxglove tree arrives ready to romp away and transform a sunny corner in its very first season.

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Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Foxglove Tree 'Futuro'

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.

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About Foxglove Tree 'Futuro'

Paulownia elongata 'Futuro' needs full sun and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Hardy Exotic (H5): down to around −15°C. Hardy through a cold UK winter.

Fully hardy in most of the UK to around H5, withstanding roughly -15C once established. Young plants in their first winter benefit from a deep mulch over the roots and a sheltered spot, as late frosts can nip emerging spring growth and flower buds. Read moreShow less

Fully hardy in most of the UK to around H5, withstanding roughly -15C once established. Young plants in their first winter benefit from a deep mulch over the roots and a sheltered spot, as late frosts can nip emerging spring growth and flower buds.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered

Plant in full sun for the strongest growth, best leaf size and the chance of flowers. A warm, sheltered position out of strong, drying winds protects the large leaves and helps the soft new shoots ripen before winter. Read moreShow less

Plant in full sun for the strongest growth, best leaf size and the chance of flowers. A warm, sheltered position out of strong, drying winds protects the large leaves and helps the soft new shoots ripen before winter.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

Happy on most fertile, free-draining soils including chalk, clay, loam and sand across the full pH range. The one thing it dislikes is cold, waterlogged ground over winter, so improve heavy soils with grit and organic matter before planting. Read moreShow less

Happy on most fertile, free-draining soils including chalk, clay, loam and sand across the full pH range. The one thing it dislikes is cold, waterlogged ground over winter, so improve heavy soils with grit and organic matter before planting.

Watering

Water generously and regularly through the first two summers while the deep root system establishes, never letting the rootball dry out in hot spells. Once settled it is notably drought-tolerant and rarely needs watering. Read moreShow less

Water generously and regularly through the first two summers while the deep root system establishes, never letting the rootball dry out in hot spells. Once settled it is notably drought-tolerant and rarely needs watering.

Mature size

Height8-12 m (much less if coppiced)

Spread5-8 m

Reaches full size in 10-20 years

Growth habit

Columnar/upright

Flowering

JFMAMJJASOND

May-Jun · Purple

Seasonal colour

SpringSummerAutumnWinterFlowerFoliageBerriesStem

Foliage

Deciduous

Scent

Lightly fragrant flowers

Pruning

For dramatic oversized juvenile leaves, cut all stems back hard to a low stump in early spring and feed well to fuel the vigorous regrowth. Coppicing keeps it shrubby and sacrifices the flowers.

Toxicity

Generally regarded as low toxicity; no part is known to be seriously harmful to people or pets, though the fine hairs on young growth can irritate skin and ingestion of foliage may cause mild stomach upset.

Native range

China

Family

Paulowniaceae

Also known as

Paulownia elongata 'Futuro'

Genus

Paulownia

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the foxglove tree hardy in the UK?

Yes, Paulownia elongata 'Futuro' is fully hardy across most of the UK, taking temperatures down to around -15C once established (roughly RHS H5). The roots are very tough, and even if a hard winter cuts back young top growth the plant usually reshoots strongly from the base in spring.

How big does Paulownia elongata 'Futuro' get?

Grown on as a tree it reaches around 8-12 m tall with a 5-8 m spread over many years, as it is one of the fastest-growing trees in the world. If you coppice or pollard it hard each spring it stays a shrubby 2-3 m but produces enormous, dramatic leaves.

Why isn't my Paulownia flowering?

The lilac, foxglove-like flowers form on the previous season's wood, so they only appear on mature trees that have been left unpruned over winter. If you coppice the plant each year for big foliage you trade the flowers for the leaves; grow it on as a standard tree in a warm, sunny spot and flowers will follow as it matures.

Can I grow it for giant leaves instead of as a tree?

Absolutely. Cutting the stems back hard to a low framework in early spring (coppicing or pollarding) channels all the vigour into a few shoots, producing leaves that can be 40-60 cm or more across. This is a popular way to use it for a bold, tropical effect in smaller gardens.

Is the foxglove tree poisonous to pets?

Paulownia is generally regarded as low toxicity and is not listed among the seriously dangerous garden plants for cats and dogs. As with any plant it is sensible to discourage pets from chewing the foliage, and the fine hairs on young growth can irritate sensitive skin.

Does my plant come with a pot?

Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.

How big will my plant be when it arrives?

Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.

What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?

There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.

What should I do when my plant arrives?

First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.

Will my plant survive being shipped?

Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.

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Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

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From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

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All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Paulownia elongata 'Futuro'

£23.49 ~~£27.99~~