Many people in the south and Texas consider this a invasive species. ON the other hand the Japanese love this tree because its wood expands and shrinks the same across the grain and with the grain making it a great wood for box making and joinery for building.

Supposedly, according to the nursery, this tree is "neutered" or whatever you call it in horticulture world (I'm not a green thumb)... so it shouldn't be an issue creating invasive problems.

It grows so fast you can almost watch it happening. You can cut it back to the split and in a couple of years you won't even know that there was another leader. It is rather a weedy tree.

Maybe one could bind the remaining branch to a straight stake gently to help it straighten out. Caucionairy note: I am just talking off the top of my head. I have never done it; but I might be tempted to do some tree disciplining.... or research it at least.

After you mow the lawn give your tree a grass free area at least three feet across. And cut it down to a stump - it will come back with one or more replacement stems that will be straight.

The nuisance spreading is through reseeding so for yours to be a noninvasive selection it will have to be one that does not produce fertile seed. And would be expected to have some kind of designation in the naming other than just Paulownia tomentosa (or Paulownia [other wild species name]) that indicates it is such a variant form.

If instead it came with only a species name then the claim of sterility sounds bogus. Unless it is one of the less usual species and there is an idea present that that species has trouble setting seed under local conditions. In which case the plant would not actually be sterile but instead merely stymied.

What kind of a nursery sells neutered Paulownia with a forked trunk like that?

sam_Md - The tree is a couple years old. The first year, it grew to where the fork is. The second year it grew the two branches. I'm on the third year now.

Oh, and it was an online tree nursery.

If it were mine, I'd leave it because it's a "good" fork -- a very wide angle w/no included bark. Makes it easy to climb when it gets older too. I purposely left a "good" fork down low on my catalpa. But it's up to you.

Cut to near the ground at this time of the year (top growth just beginning) it will come roaring back with one or more replacement trunks that are straight and non forking. And thereby eliminating the goofy appearance it has now.

Also the base of the existing trunk looks all beat up. If it has been getting hit by a string trimmer or other source of damage this needs to be taken out of the equation for your tree to become a successful decorative feature. So in addition to having the turf moved back away from it it may need to have a protective enclosure installed. Whether you cut it down and start it over or you retain the existing awkward stem structure.

Yes I would think a third year Paulownia that puny has suffered considerable trunk damage placed in the lawn like that.