Royal Empress Tree
Spring Growing Season 3

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The most talked about trees on my property by family, friends and general passerbys, without a doubt are my two curbside Royal Empress trees. Hard to believe I planted two bare roots two years ago. This being the start of it's third season is where the fun truly begins. I've had multiple unknown passerby stop while walking, and even pull over in their car to have a closer look.

In the first year people thought I'd lost my marbles and planted two gigantic sunflowers on my curb. They were convinced! I initially trained the saplings and allowed only one shoot to grow while plucking away any other shoots that fought to grow (seemingly daily new shoots budded) but I left the gigantic leaves all the way up the soon to be stalk that would become the tree's trunk. 

In the second growing season I had an established "pole." No better way to describe what the trees looked like. At this point the nicknames began. "Jurassic Tree" and "Jack and the Beanstalk" were popular. At that point I allowed growth anywhere above the established 8 or 10 foot "pole". I chose the height, especially high as to clear the corner stop sign.

Winter left a pole with a bunch of long branches that reached high and wide. Now with spring in full swing those bare branches are making new shoots. Any buds that have appeared on the trunk are being plucked away. Enjoy the spring view of season 3! I'll check back in in a few weeks to update the tree's growth!


I'm a baking and gardening enthusiast. I make silly movies that will never be relevant but pleases me all the same. I tend to say things that make people look at me like "whaaaaa?" I get it from my mother and she gets it from her father. Tradition is nice.

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