here is a picture of this crazy tree thing

Paulownia tomentosa, I'd say.

Laymen term: Royal Empress Tree. Can grow up to 15 feet a year depending on area and climate. Some consider it an invasive weed. Looks pretty cool. I live in the high desert of Nevada (north) and I was thinking about trying to plant one of these to see if it takes due to thier aggressive growth.

Oh boy.........another Paulownia thread. Skipper, did you just find this out growing in the wild? Can you give us a general idea of your location, or at least a zone number? The leaves, as they mature get smaller. Still large as they mature, but not the washtub size of their juvie counterparts. My nearest Arboretum was actually selling these in their annual plant sale, some years back. I was dumbfounded.

I'm surprised our arboretum doesn't sell them then. Our arboretum sells campsis radicans every year -- trumpet creeper. I usually work that plant sale and convince anyone who will listen not to buy them.

This is just the kind of tree my husband would love. He talked me into keeping the two young mimosa trees we have, but I won't make that mistake again. They're huge now and loaded with pods, and I'm the one who will be ripping up the seedlings next year.

They usually grow like that when cut back to the ground. I would bet the area along the fence was cleared out last year and the original paulownia tree was cut down and this sprout came up from the roots.
Usually when paulownia seedlings are planted its just the roots, the tops have been cut back completely so that the new growth comes up fast and straight.

This growing in Westchester ny Tarrytown. Along the side of the road.Just two of these about 10 feet away from each other. Strangest thing iv ever seen.

I grew three from seed, just out of curiosity since such claims were made for their growth rate. We were rated zone five then and the firm I worked for would usually recommend zone fours for clients, so I figured they'd never go invasive, and likely only bloom sporadically.

They did indeed shoot up like that and it was hilarious because a contractor we had used just a couple years previously was perplexed when he came upon them and said he coulda sworn there were no trees at the site he'd be working near.

Well they're enormous now and I shoulda sawed them down back when I had the chance. They have managed to bloom every spring like clockwork, and produce hideous amounts of seed, and yeah..........and yes, I do find volunteers. Beware folks, this could be the new tree of heaven.