Foxglove tree

The lilac coloured flowers of the Paulownia tree resemble foxgloves so must have looked spectacular a few weeks ago but are now past their best.  I thought they looked good in the evening sun against the backdrop of a new office building in St Peter's Square in Manchester.
They are very popular among some local authorities in England  but I'm unaware of any in Scotland. The leaves appear after the flowers and the Paulownia tree is tolerant of pollution and is amongst the fastest growing trees in the world. 

ChrisF blipped a closeup of the flowers earlier and wrote:
They originate in China. They are traditionally planted by families when a girl is born. They are fast growing and mature when she does. When she is eligible for marriage the tree is cut down and carved into wooden items for her dowry.
The seeds were used as a packing material by Chinese porcelain exporters in the 19th century. Packing cases often leaked or burst in transit, so the tree is regarded as an invasive species in Japan and the eastern USA.