It is summer, and it is hot and you want shade, like --- yesterday. But you also want something pretty and even useful (outside of providing shade), if you can. What on earth will you grow?
Growing a tree that grows fast immediately brings up concerns for landscapers and gardeners alike. We want to make sure we aren't growing something that is invasive. After all, when one planting turns into 200 saplings popping up everywhere, most of us would not be happy.
Well, we have one suggestion for anybody who lives in Hardiness Zone 7+, the Royal Empress Tree - specifically, Paulownia elongata. That is because this variety produces STERILE seeds. They CANNOT germinate!
You'll have to check out the video to believe just how fast this tree grows.
Frankly, it's just plain crazy.
If the growth we are seeing continues then in 4 years we will have a fully grown 50' tall, 40' wide shade tree that produces pleasant looking and smelling flower clusters early every spring, which are a source of food for honeybees and native pollinators alike. It won't be their primary source of food, but as an early source it is a great way to help out those beneficial insects that are just beginning to start their pollination efforts.
Plus the wood can be used for crafts, furniture, and many other things. It is commonly said that you can make big $ off of the wood, but that requires you finding a buyer - which might not be likely, so keep your ambitions to your own use for the wood and not expecting to grow a grove of this to make your millions.
Whatever your purpose for growing the tree it will certainly make a statement - with its fast growth, bigger-than-your-head leaves, and perfume-like aroma - it will be the conversation starter that sits in your yard!
TIP: We cheated, as any proper gardener would. We used the Organic Fertilizer Tree Spikes to help give this tree a boost. You might want to consider doing the same thing, or something similar. Fast growth means a lot of nutrients being used up in your soil!
Shared for folks to see you are posting here...
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Thanks!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
too bad I live in Zone 4. Would love to have this tree in my yard.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
:-( Sorry it didn't help you :-(
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
build a very tall green house ? ;)
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Nice to see you here I watched the video on yt last night and I was thinking wow it's been a while even for the live shows I so hope you start those up again when life starts to wind down for winter :) will the misuse also have an account on steemit ? good to see you posting again :D
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Jennifer doesn't really get into this side of the homestead, so likely not. We might do live shows again, sometime, but committing ourselves to a set schedule just isn't our thing. It's hard for us.
But, anyhow, it is good to be back making videos. We went on a big family vacation and then had to get back into a routine when we came home and then it was just horrid horrid weather and I had no desire to film a thing outside and the house was filthy filthy so there was no filming inside either, lol.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
yes the weather is a tricky thing for some too much rain or wind some areas both and others nothing but heat :( all depends on location I guess :) hope the vacation was relaxing some for all as for a set schedule I've been noticing many are just doing it on the fly witch makes it kinda hard to keep tabs as to when to tune in at the right time :/ it's fun and frustrating all at once so you do what you feel is right for you :D
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Rooting cuttings at this time of year is always problematic for me. I've had much better success with early green cuttings or late woody cuttings. Mid-season never seem to work here in KY.
I had to chuckle, your statement of sterile seeds being unable to germinate. All I could think of was Jurassic Park and nature always finds a way. Now, I have the hankering to go watch that movie.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
lol - nature does usually end up winning out in the end, doesn't it.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
An hour and a half later, after initially viewing your post, (found via weetreebonsia's resteem), I think you should not worry about propagating your tree.
I found this link:
(http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1657116/advice-on-royal-empress-tree).
10, thats TEN years worth of comments about those trees,(2007-2017).
I do so like waking up and finding something interesting to occupy those first few hours of the day.
I am not sure what side of the fence I stand on when it comes to invasive plants, both sides I guess. In a city or urban environment, I do not think there is such a thing as an invasive plant,(just invasive buildings and people). One of the 204 post on the above mentioned link was a picture of a tree, (I am guessing the invasive one), growing right next to an abandoned warehouse. So what was the invasive, the tree?/or the warehouse?. In a country environment, there are, (if you are lucky), the real wild/native lands to be considered.
Thanks to both of you for some interesting searching/research to do.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
I am sorry if I was not clear, but these ones are not invasive, as I mentioned in the post. They are a sterile variety - the seeds cannot reproduce.
Check this out: https://www.fast-growing-trees.com/blog/royal-empress-trees-invasive-heres/
But you're right - humans are perhaps more invasive than anything. Still though there is a good point in not introducing a species into an environment where everything else won't know how to respond to it.
We also have Chinese Privet, which is considered invasive - it was growing here when we bought the land - but goats LOVE it. So, in that way, invasive plants can be useful - because we can rotate goats around to different stands of this stuff and they will eat it down and in a month it will grow back up.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Congratulations @jandjacres! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPDownvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Congratulations @jandjacres! You received a personal award!
You can view your badges on your Steem Board and compare to others on the Steem Ranking
Vote for @Steemitboard as a witness to get one more award and increased upvotes!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit