It turns out that there are plants you should never, ever plant around your home, like the Empress Tree (or Paulownia tomentose). I bought my first house in 2013, and it’s been a lot of fun. But I’ve learned that buying a house isn’t like playing The Sims or any other game where you can just build what you want and stuff will work. This tree is one of the worst trees for a yard because it grows really fast and its leaves smell bad, plus it also sends invasive roots into pipes.
Empress tree is a deciduous species with upright and round growth habit when young, and columnar to upright when mature.
An empress tree is a deciduous species with upright and round growth habits when young, and columnar to upright when mature. It can grow to heights of up to 50 feet. The leaves are simple and alternate, pinnately veined, ovate to lanceolate in shape with serrate margins that have sharp tips.
They produce small white flowers in mid-summer that turn into dark purple berries at maturity which attracts birds and other wildlife to your yard or garden area.
The leaves are dark green, up to 18 inches long, pinnately divided, and compound with numerous, small leaflets.
The leaves are dark green, up to 18 inches long, and pinnately divided. They are compound with numerous, small leaflets. The leaflets are serrated at the margins and have a few teeth near their tips.
An empress tree can grow up to 24-40 feet tall.
An empress tree can grow up to 24-40 feet tall. It is a deciduous species with upright and round growth habits when young, and columnar to upright when mature. The leaves are dark green, up to 18 inches long, pinnately divided, and compound with numerous, small leaflets.
The flowers are very fragrant white clusters that bloom in early spring before the foliage emerges or after leaf fall in autumn (fall). In areas where winters are milder, there may be an additional flowering in late winter/spring before new buds appear on the previous year’s growth.
The beautiful yellow pea-like flowers bloom in late spring in drooping sprays called panicles.
The beautiful yellow pea-like flowers bloom in late spring in drooping sprays called panicles. These flowers are pollinated by bees and butterflies, which help them produce the fruit that follows.
The tree has a few issues that make it unappealing to many homeowners. First, if you live in an area where summers get too hot, this tree will not thrive for long. Second, its roots need plenty of space around them to grow freely – so you’ll want at least two feet of space between your home’s foundation or other structures and your Empress Tree. Lastly, Empress Trees can grow up to 150 feet tall! While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing—the height makes them great shade trees—it may limit what type of landscaping design you can implement when planting one nearby your house or garden.
They are replaced by inflated brownish legumes that contain two to four seeds.
Empress Tree seeds are poisonous, so don’t eat them! Even if you’re starving, they’ll do more harm than good. If you happen to touch Empress Tree seeds and get any on your skin or clothing, wash them off immediately with soap and water. Don’t leave fallen Empress Tree seedpods lying around in case children or pets might pick one up and put it in their mouth.
When planting a tree in your yard, make sure it’s not an Empress tree! This beautiful flower can grow up to 35 feet tall—but its roots will destroy the foundation of your house if planted too close to it. The best way to prevent this is by making sure your yard is clear of any potential host plants before attempting another landscaping project there again later down the road (or even tomorrow).
Empress tree is hardy in USDA zones 5-9 and grows well in full sun or partial shade.
If you’re looking for a tree that’s hardy, grows quickly, and is easy to care for, the Empress tree may be your best bet. But before heading out and planting an Empress tree in your yard (or anywhere else), it’s important to know a few things about this plant. For one thing, empress trees require full sun to thrive—they can tolerate some partial shade but will grow more slowly in it than they would under full sunlight. As such, if you live in USDA zones 5-9, where temperatures range from -20°F (-28°C) in winter to 100°F (37°C) or higher during summer months, you should think twice before planting an empress tree outside unless you have ample space for it to grow as large as possible without being shaded by nearby trees or buildings.
Empress tree may seem pretty impressive at first sight, but it has several shortcomings that will make any garden look worse instead of better.
Empress tree may seem pretty impressive at first sight, but it has several shortcomings that will make any garden look worse instead of better.
The biggest problem with empress trees is their size. When they grow to maturity, they can reach heights of up to 25 feet tall with a trunk as wide as 3 feet in diameter! As you might imagine, this makes them an imposing presence in the yard and detracts from any other plants or foliage nearby. It also makes it difficult for smaller plants to grow under Empress trees once they have grown large enough to shade out everything else around them.
If your goal is simply to create a functional yard space where you can relax and enjoy being outside, there are better options available than Empress trees that won’t take over the whole landscape (or even just one corner) as if it were their own personal playground/playhouse for kids who don’t know any better yet!
Conclusion
Now that you know the truth, resist the urge to buy one of these gorgeous trees. The empress tree is not suitable for any yard, no matter how big or small it is.
