We just moved to Bellevue WA (just east of Seattle) and have this big, beautiful tree in our yard... but have no idea what it is? Can someone help? It sheds these pod sections constantly. Image attached.
It is an Empress tree, Paulownia tomentosa. It is in the Snapdragon family. It has purple flowers in the spring, you should be able to see the buds now, and large heart-shaped leaves. It can grow to 30+ feet. Don't be afraid to prune it, some people prune it to the ground every year and have enormous leaves that are the talk of the neighborhood. If you do that you will sacrifice the flowers though. I do a compromise and prune it heavily every couple of years to to keep it in the 15-20 feet range.
The fragrance of the blooms are quite stunning in May. Most of the Paulownia I've seen are allowed to grow to their natural proportions and become rather stately in time.
