That trees play an essential role in the well-being of our climate and our planet, we have known since our childhood. It is thanks to these natural elements that the air we breathe every day can be filtered by all the pollutants it contains.
This is why their presence in our ecosystems must be preserved and guaranteed: they are the best natural allies for reducing CO2 and purifying the air. Among the many species of trees that can be found on Earth, there are some that can perform this vital function better than others. These plants have such advanced “filtering” abilities that they are essential in any environment.
One of them, in particular, is almost a “super-tree”, which has some interesting characteristics in many ways. In particular, it would manage to absorb up to ten times more carbon dioxide than the others. Let’s see which tree it is.
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image credit: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT/Wikimedia
Kiri, also known by the scientific name of Paulownia tomentose , has made headlines for its incredible properties. It is a tree of Asian origin (China and Japan), imported to the West around the 19th century and widely used as an ornamental plant, both in private spaces and in public green spaces.
Its structure is both particularly robust and flexible, so much so that it has often been used in the manufacture of furniture, construction elements, but also objects and musical instruments. Another special feature is also its very rapid growth.
In just three years, Paulownia manages to reach its maximum level of development and can reach up to almost 20 meters in height. In this regard, in 2011 he won the Guinness World Record of “the tree that grows the fastest”. And it doesn’t just purify the air in the best possible way. Paulownia is also capable of “cleaning” the soil in which it is planted and of intercepting a large number of coarse dust.
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image credit: Paulownia/Facebook
If one puts in relation the size, the rate of growth, and the purifying capacity of the Kiri, it is clear that all this has made this tree almost a symbol of the fight against climate change and global warming.
Its wide and thick foliage, in spring, is filled with beautiful pink or lilac flowers that make it precious also from an aesthetic point of view, therefore very suitable for the decoration of environments.
A plant-rich in quality and in aspects essential to our survival: Kiri is thus a wonderful gift from nature that we should all benefit from!
Source used:
- https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/fastest-growing-tree-
- http://eco2-international.com/Kiri%20Tree.htm
- http://www.ideassonline.org/public/pdf/PaulowniaChina-ENG.pdf
- https://www.scirp.org/pdf/JGIS_2018040914473890.pdf
- https://worldtree.info/empress-tree/
via: Ncbi.gov