Foxglove Tree

The Paulownia tomentosa, or Foxglove Tree, in the Linda Vista Gardens in Abergavenny is in full flower (well, actually it's just past its prime - hence the fallen flowers!). My books tell me that the genus name is after Princess Anna Paulovna, daughter of Tsar Paul the First of Russia. The wood is good for making chopsticks, which makes sense when we learn that it originates from China.