In Asia, paulownia is affected by many pests and disease, including anthracnose, mistletoe and insect attack. The most serious disease is witches' broom , which has contributed to the decline in paulownia production in Japan. It does not appear to be present in Australia. Potential sites in Western Australia Sheltered sites in the lower south-west, with deep soils and rainfall greater than 750 mm have the most potential. Since summer irrigation and high levels of nutrients are needed for rapid growth, there may be opportunities to grow paulownias in association with effluent disposal.
Possible sources are dairies, piggeries, feedlots and rural towns.
Propagation Paulownia plants can be propagated from seed or from stem and root cuttings . Although trees grown from seed are reported to have better early root development and to be less susceptible to heartwood rot, they vary in growth rate and form . The most common propagation method, to produce uniform trees of known parentage, is to take cuttings from superior parent plants. Root cuttings are more commonly used than stem cuttings because they strike more reliably. Tissue culture is sometimes used for cloning superior trees, and for propagating disease-free material for export across quarantine boundaries.