Question
Hello Mark,

I think I might have asked you a question about these trees before?! We purchased six royal empress tress from a catalog nursery company. When they came they were dormant, and just looked like a stick! Well---Only one tree out of the six survived. So that tree is my pride and joy. It has grown to be about 6-7 inches tall now, with several healty leaves.(The leaves are quite big and really quite beautiful) My question to you is, do I need to cover the tree for the winter? So far the deer and rabbits are staying away. We live in Michigan and we do have very cold weather, and snow! Also the tree does not have a bark like trunk? When the leaves starting coming on, they came from the root of the tree! They say that this tree is suppose to eventually grow 12 feet a year! I need your great advice about this tree, and seeings it is the only one that survived out of the six! Please help...

Thanks,

Gail

Answer
Gail,

Your instincts are good.  I'd make sure to protect that young tree this winter.
Maybe a round wire cage packed full of leaves?

I'm a little puzzled by the description of the tree,though.  When I see something sending up leaves and/or shoots from the root, rather than the trunk, it makes me think.  Sometimes that happens if a tree, particularly a hybrid, is grafted onto to a rootstock (from a non-hybrid of same genus) for vigor or disease resistance.  If the grafted upper part is doing poorly, the rootstock is set free to sprout.

My only other thought is that make sure that anything that grows that fast is planted away from buildings or pavement or sewerlines/septic tank. Probably would eventually do damage with roots.

Mark in Portland