The seeds exhibit no dormancy, but light is necessary for germination. They typically grow very fast, with giant leaves when young. I have tried numerous nurseries, but none seem to have one. Princess trees, or Royal Paulownia, Paulownia tomentosa is not considered a great shade tree. Rarely will a nursery sell them, but all you need to do is find one growing either in the wild, or in someones yard, and harvest some seeds.
Princess trees grow rapidly from seeds.
County Extension offices get samples of leaves every year. When young, Princess trees can form gigantic leaves, the trees sprout up in unusual places. Because they grow rapidly, they tend to be fairly weak, and therefore short-lived. They have pretty purple flowers in the spring, followed by woody capsules that open and send forth the seeds in the fall. Back to top I have just purchased some empress trees.