Question
Hi Ed,

We just started some landscaping this spring. We recently purchased several Royal Empress Trees. They say that they will grow 12 ft. a year! My question is we put them in the ground about 2 weeks ago or so. They look like a stick with a hole in the end. When should we start seeing something on these trees? We live in Michigan. We haven't had real warm weather yet. There has been some rain and when it hasn't rained we have made sure to water the trees. When should we start to see something on these trees?

Sincerely,

Gail DeGood

Answer
Hi Gail,
The Paulownia or Empress tree is a very beautiful tree once it has established itself. If you recieved one of the trees that they sell through mail order, then it was probably sent bare rooted. This type of tree sometimes needs a little more time to come out of dormancy. Many times bare rooted trees are stored in refrigerators in order to keep them dormant longer. Give the tree a few weeks once the temperatures go above 60 degrees. Make sure you keep it well watered for the first year and give it some fertilizer containing a mychorrizal innoculant (mychorrizae are beneficial fungi that help to enhance the root systems of the plants they attach to).
Good luck with your new tree!