Empress Splendor, fact or fiction?

[Curtisg41]

They haven't yet. Good thing I wasn't holding my breath. I have quite a few questions I would like to ask them if they would ever respond.

That happened to me as well... But I tried again and they eventually got back to me... Answered all the questions I had at the time... They said they've been swamped and apologized for the tardiness... Fair enough...

 

[whitebc]

Anyone plant one of these yet? Just wondering how it was doing in the last 2 years.

 

[NYCHA FORESTER]

Just as invasive as Ailanthus, and just as tough to eradicate.:censored:

It's considered a nusiance/non-native invasive tree in NYC and cannot be planted.

I've seen them growing by railroad tracks and in the cracks of old building foundations...... really tough trees and showy flowers. I think in a highly urbanized area they would make a great tree because they are so tough. Outside of urbanized areas I would be less inclined to recommend it.

(right tree for the right place)

 

[Curtisg41]

It's considered a nusiance/non-native invasive tree in NYC and cannot be planted.

I've seen them growing by railroad tracks and in the cracks of old building foundations...... really tough trees and showy flowers. I think in a highly urbanized area they would make a great tree because they are so tough. Outside of urbanized areas I would be less inclined to recommend it.

(right tree for the right place)

Actually, I think you may be misinformed. The invasive species you're speaking of is the Tomentosa. The Empress Splendor is taken from the same genus but perfected through gene therapy. (Believe it or not!) The staff at World Tree explained to me that they guarantee their product to be 100% non-invasive. But, because of the bad wrap the Tomentosa has given the 'Empress' name many people have made this mistake.

Check it out! Pretty wild! www.worldtreetech.com

And, for 'WhiteBC': There is a section on the site called "The Family Tree Album" on the left of the home page where you can view customers that have purchased and posted photos. I personally have not planted any yet, but they add photos there all the time.

 

[arbadacarba]

If you can get it to grow in your area Western Red Alder is a great wood to try. Its a great nitrogen fixer for later woodlot trees, it's growth rate is extremely high, it's proportion of useable wood is high, it responds well to fairly dense planting, works well and hardens up nicely when properly dried. BTU content isn't as high as maple for firewood, but you can't have everything. Its also really coming into demand for furniture carcass wood.

When I was younger we used to use it only for firewood and it was considered to be a weed tree. Nice to see some of it used for better purposes now. What really turned me on to it was a forester friend who found out I had gone down to Uruguay to look at eucalyptus growth rates and told me that we got better from alder right here in B.C. When I learned last year that some people were now trying it out for flooring I really got interested.

That's the beauty of wood. It will always surprise you!

 

[windthrown]

Alder grows pretty fast here, and the pond price for logs is high. About the same price of #1 Doug fir saw logs.