Trees with purple flowers around Maryland

[Eugene80]

When driving in the Baltimore area like I-70, 29 etc. amid all the green trees I sometimes see purple ones. They stand out. Anybody know what they are? Picture attached.

Sometimes I also see white ones. There are way more white ones than purples ones.

[Flamingo13]

Pic. is too close-up for me to be able to tell.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

Pic. is too close-up for me to be able to tell.

Yeah me too, kind of looks like honeysuckle.

[Eugene80]

Here's another, smaller pic.

[CalWorth]

Jacaranda?

[westsideboy]

The white one is definitely honeysuckle.

I noticed the purple ones this weekend too. I had always thought they were a type of wisteria, but they are not. I don't think they are Jacaranda, but I have to do some more research. The way the tree branches is very distinct and formulaic, so I should be able to track it down.

[Eugene80]

Looks like I found the answer! Paulownia Tree (also called "Empress Tree" or "Princess Tree") - seems to be an exact match for the flowers I posted.



https://liisma.org/princess-tree/


While the purple flowers are pretty, it's extremely invasive and people are trying to get rid of it, with little success! Botanists are desperately telling people not to plant it because it just gets out of control.


https://www.invasive.org/alien/pubs/...antic/pato.htm
https://www.southernliving.com/garde...r/empress-tree


"Ecological Threat
Princess tree invades forests, stream banks and some rocky habitats, displacing native plant species."

The empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa), sometimes also known as the princess tree or Royal Paulownia, is adorned with lovely purple, vanilla-scented flowers and big, beautiful, velvety leaves, and it grows very quickly. For this reason, it is a popular tree to plant for quick shade. The empress tree is actually one of the fastest-growing trees in the world and has been known to grow up to 20 feet within its first year...


Empress trees grow so rampantly that they are classified as a noxious weed in Connecticut, where sales of this species are actually banned. They are considered invasive in the Southeast, and state governments from Tennessee to Florida recommend against planting them. Planting an empress tree too close to a garden or other trees will often result in the empress hoarding nutrients and water from the nearby plants. If planted too close to a building, the roots have a strong potential to damage the foundation.

As far as the white flowers, yes, looks like you're right -- it's honeysuckle. I thought both the white and the purple ones were the same plant. But it looks like they're different. So right now in the MD area, amid all the greenery there are purple Paulownias/"empresses/princesses" and white honeysuckles that stand out.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by Eugene80

Looks like I found the answer! Paulownia Tree (also called "Empress Tree" or "Princess Tree") - seems to be an exact match for the flowers I posted.



https://liisma.org/princess-tree/


While the purple flowers are pretty, it's extremely invasive and people are trying to get rid of it, with little success! Botanists are desperately telling people not to plant it because it just gets out of control.


https://www.invasive.org/alien/pubs/...antic/pato.htm
https://www.southernliving.com/garde...r/empress-tree


"Ecological Threat
Princess tree invades forests, stream banks and some rocky habitats, displacing native plant species."

As far as the white flowers, yes, looks like you're right -- it's honeysuckle. I thought both the white and the purple ones were the same plant. But it looks like they're different. So right now in the MD area, amid all the greenery there are purple Paulownias/"empresses/princesses" and white honeysuckles that stand out.

Thanks for this. I honestly do not remember seeing blooms like this, I'll have to look for them. I too was thinking of wisteria which you can see draping the trees on the highways but they are darker with tighter blooms I believe.

[Levante]

Originally Posted by Eugene80

When driving in the Baltimore area like I-70, 29 etc. amid all the green trees I sometimes see purple ones. They stand out. Anybody know what they are? Picture attached.

Sometimes I also see white ones. There are way more white ones than purples ones.

It is one of catalpa species tree

https://wp.towson.edu/glenarboretum/...thern-catalpa/

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/...speciosa.shtml