The difference between Paulownia and Wutong mainly lies in the different trunks, leaves, flowers, families, fruits, and distribution range.

1. Differences in tree trunks

Wutong is a deciduous tree with a height of up to 16 meters. The color of the bark is green and the surface is relatively smooth with no special protrusions or lines. The bark of the Paulownia tree is darker in color, ranging from gray, gray-brown or even gray-black. It is smooth when young and begins to have longitudinal cracks as it matures.

2. Differences in leaves

The leaves of Wutong are heart-shaped, with 3 to 5 cracks on the surface. The cracks are triangular. The leaves are larger and can reach 15 to 15 in diameter. About 30 cm. The leaves of Paulownia are oval in shape, with some shallow slits along the entire edge. The petiole is long and covered with small hairs.

3. Differences in flowers

The sycamore flower is light yellow-green in color and consists of panicles, about 20-50 cm long. Paulownia flowers are lavender or white in color and shaped like a trumpet.

4. Different families and genera

Paulownia is a plant of the Paulownia genus of the Scrophulariaceae family; while Wutong is a plant of the Sterculiaceae family.

5. The fruits are different

Paulownia is a capsule, which is oval or oval. When mature, the seam on the back will crack. There are many seeds inside, which are oblong; Wutong is a follicle. The fruit will crack before maturity and the seeds inside will be spherical.

6. Distribution range

Paulownia is native to China and Japan, and is widely planted from North China to South China and Southwest China, especially in the Yangtze River Basin; It is distributed along the Yan'an line, from Guangdong and Guangxi in the south, from Taiwan in the east, to Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan in the west. It is also distributed in northern Laos. It is introduced and cultivated in North Korea, Japan, Argentina, the southern United States, Brazil, and Paraguay.