The Royal Empress Tree

In 2015 I planted a Paulownia, otherwise known as a Royal Empress Tree in my front yard. My front yard was a terrible place where apparently the soil had been salted by the Romans and two other trees met their untimely demises. This tree was different, though. This tree was touted as one of the fastest growing trees in the world and I was going to see if that was the truth or just a lie to sell trees online.

So, I planted it.

And it grew…

…and it grew!

In just three short years the tree had grown almost tall enough to overtake the roof line of my two story home. The stories were true!

However, in 2018, it was time for my family and I to move out of our home and across the state. It was time to leave our Royal Empress Tree behind and yet, there was one thing that royal empress trees were supposed to do that I had never seen this one do. In the spring, before they filled their canopy with their large green leaves, royal empress trees were supposed to cover themselves in large purple blooms. I had heard that these trees were supposed to wait until they were three or four years old before they bloomed, and I hope that before we left we would see that show just once.

Sometime in March, we got our wish.

t was a marvelous goodbye. With spring quickly approaching, I wonder if the new owners of our house and the new caretaker of our royal empress tree knows what’s in store for them.