Paulownia rows shading open pasture on a World Tree silvopasture farm

A better way to grow.

We grow Paulownia lumber through regenerative forestry, in partnership with farmers across the Americas.


A world where the businesses that grow the most give back the most.

We are building toward a future where farmers prosper because their land prospers, communities grow stronger through local opportunity, manufacturers expect responsibly grown hardwood, and investors build wealth by restoring more than they extract.

  1. A hand resting on a massive old-growth stump above a clearcut hillside

    The problem

    Many of the world's hardwoods are nearing commercial extinction.

    The World Bank projects global timber demand will quadruple by 2050. Many commercially important hardwoods take decades to mature, so supply cannot keep up, and overharvesting and climate pressures squeeze it further. The gap between what the world needs and what the existing lumber industry can sustainably produce is widening.

  2. Drone view over paulownia rows

    Our answer

    Regenerative forestry, at commercial scale.

    World Tree was built to fill that gap. We partner with farmers and investors to grow fast-growing hardwoods on degraded land across the Americas.

Paulownia. The tree we built a company around.

  • One of the fastest growing hardwoods on the planet
  • Regrows from the stump after harvest, with no replanting
  • Naturally fire resistant, with no chemical treatment required
A grower rests his hand on the thick trunk of a ten-year-old paulownia at Powell farm
Ten years of growth at the Powells' farm.

The World Tree System.

We run the whole cycle. Investors fund each planting, farmers grow the trees on land we help restore, and we sell the finished lumber to manufacturers. The profits flow back to the farmers and investors who made it grow.

  1. 01

    Investors

    Capital that funds each new planting.

  2. 02

    Farmers

    Steward the land and grow the trees.

  3. 03

    Land

    Unforested, degraded acres brought back into production.

  4. 04

    Paulownia

    Fast-maturing hardwood that regrows after harvest.

  5. 05

    Lumber

    Furniture-grade hardwood boards from every harvest.

  6. 06

    Manufacturers

    Builders and makers who need wood.

What brought you here?

There are many ways to become part of the World Tree ecosystem. Build with the wood, grow the trees, or invest in the harvest.

Kiln-dried paulownia lumber stacked in packs

Source Lumber

Kiln dried, ready to ship, and easy to work with.

View lumber
A farming family standing among young paulownia trees

Become a Grower

We provide the trees and the training, and we sell the lumber for you at harvest.

Partner as a farmer

The proof is planted.

Over a decade of operating history, measured in the ground.

Acres planted
8,000+

Across the Americas

Farm partnerships
375+

Active today

Assets planted
$300M+

At projected harvest pricing

Fire rating
Class A

Independently tested

Sources: World Tree annual reports · Intertek ASTM E84 (2025)

After working with wood for years, I was amazed I'd never heard of Paulownia. Lightweight, easy to sculpt, and stable: it doesn't warp or chip. Perfect for artwork, framing, and furniture.

Katrien Van der Schueren, founder of Voila! Creative Studio

Katrien Van der Schueren

Founder, Voila! Creative Studio

Morning mist over forested hills and farmland near Atenas, Costa Rica
Atenas, Costa RicaForest and farmland share the hillsides above the valley.

Regeneration adds more than it takes.

Every partnership we make should leave the land, the people and the communities it touches stronger than before. That promise is measured: in farm income, in forest health, and in the field data we publish.

There is a better way to grow.

Trees. Businesses. Communities.