I wouldn't have believed it, had I not seen my father-in-law plant the Empress Tree months earlier.
My in-laws are farmers and definitely know what they're doing, but I still had to grow one in my yard.
We had a spot where I wanted to block the afternoon sun and provide a little privacy between us and our neighbor.
I planted our Royal Empress Tree late in the season, so I knew it wouldn't grow much before going dormant. Still, it reached about 6 feet.
My Father-in-law wasn't impressed. He said 'cut it down and you'll really see a show'. 'But I'll lose all this growth', I replied. 'No you won't' he said, 'you'll get it back in a few weeks, just watch'. He took a saw and cut it flat to the ground.
He was right. This tree is indestructible! It shot out of the ground in spring and grew 15 feet that year, then reached 25 feet the next year. It was like watching Jack and the Beanstalk.
You could measure its growth daily. My 6 year-old was out there almost every day staring at it. Two of my neighbors thought it was so beautiful, they each planted an Empress Tree of their own. I've even had professional landscapers stop and ask me where they can find them.
It's an entertaining tree year-round. In the winter, its branches are covered with furry, pea sized buds, just waiting to burst into huge flowers. At the first sign of spring, the tree explodes with purple blooms. Cars slow down to look at it. The fragrance is incredible... it's like a cross between gardenia and jasmine.
When summer comes, the tree forms a dense canopy that can drastically cut your power bills. The leaves are huge, measuring about a foot wide. They're almost tropical looking. When they drop in the fall, it's an easy clean up... not like my Oaks that scatter tens of thousands of tiny leaves.
Plus, bigger leaves mean fewer branches, so you get more sunlight and natural heat coming through in the winter when you need it most.
Best of all, this is a flowering tree you don't have to baby. It grows almost everywhere, from Mexico to Canada, preferring zones 7-11. It has no significant insect or disease problems, tolerates drought, and grows in almost any kind of soil, even toxic ones. It's a hardwood tree that lives to an old age.
You can also feel good that you're planting one of the most environmentally beneficial trees in the world. Your Empress Tree will have large leaves that act as giant air filters, pulling pollution out of the air at a remarkable rate, turning it into wood, then releasing high amounts of beneficial oxygen.
This year's Empress Trees are in short supply. Recent publicity and recommendations from TV shows like Oprah have fueled demand.
Just beware that not all Empress Trees are the same. Some nurseries use wild seed that doesn't grow as quickly and can be invasive. Others use growth inhibitors to keep their trees smaller for shipping. This can stay in the tree for several months, giving you disappointing results.
Fast Growing Trees Nursery uses proven stock that's non-invasive, faster growing, and hardier... your tree arrives ready for explosive growth.
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