Where found:

• Farms, parks and gardens for shade, timber or specimen trees.
  
• Tolerates poor soils but prefers will drained, fertile soil, sunny and sheltered.
  

• Straight, clear trunked tree, broad spreading crown with large nearly horizontal branches slightly raised at the ends. Very fast growing. Deciduous. Large heart shaped leaves, sometimes 3 to 5 lobed. Up to 300 mm across and 350 mm long. Deep green, soft, woolly and grey underneath. In opposite pairs on long, hairy stems.
  
• Brown olive sized buds in autumn. Flowers usually open in spring before leaves appear. Trumpet shaped, foxglove like, purple to violet coloured in clusters up to 30cm long. Oval seed capsules 4 centimetres long.
  
• Seeds eaten by small birds.
  
• Tolerates moderate frost and moderate salt exposure. Dislikes ongoing strong winds.
  
• Untapped potential in NZ for timber.
  
• Rotation: 15 to 20 years.
  
• Wood properties: light in weight and colour. Strong grained. Dries readily and is easily worked.
  
• Used for furniture, plywood, moldings, doors, window frames, clading, poles, pulp.