Martens Empress Enterprises was founded because of my father’s love for farming and growing anything and everything. About 3 years ago he started planting Empress Splendor trees. The initial planting consisted of only 10 trees as a pilot project. Although it was a bit of a rough start due to climate differences, he persevered and ended up planting around 800 trees in the initial field. Through trial an error, he has found the right mix of techniques to help these little gems grow and thrive! I began assisting my father on his farm when I moved to the area about 2 1/2 years ago. During this time, I have learned just how special these trees are. I recently started the MEE organization with the idea to plant the Empress within a rotation cycle, thus allowing us to harvest regularly. This will allow us to get more product into the market on a more consistent basis. We are just starting with our first planting field this year and will be sharing this journey with you, just visit our blog and sign up today!
Positive Global Impact
The Empress Splendor is a non-invasive species from the Paulownia family of trees. They are a ‘wet’ wood, so they are naturally insect and fire repellent. For a typical acre of trees, it is estimated that most species of tree can absorb between 1 – 10 metric tons of carbon dioxide. One acre of Empress trees can absorb approximately 103 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Thus making a significant impact on the world around us.
Positive Bee Impact
We all hear so much about the loss of today’s bee population. Well the Empress can help out with that as well. The blooms in the spring resemble a very large cluster similar to the foxglove, only quite a bit larger. This provides tons of nectar for the bees and have been said to smell like a cross between a gardenia and jasmine bloom.
Positive Land Impact
Because the Empress is a natural nitrogen lover, it retains that nitrogen within its leaves. When the leaves fall at the end of the growing season, they add that nitrogen back into the soil to help improve the soil composition. They also have very deep roots that help to break up problem soils and help to enrich the ground that supports them.
Positive Wood Industry Impact
The Empress is an amazingly fast growing hardwood and provides numerous climate and ecological benefits. In the first year these trees can reach anywhere from 15 to 20 feet tall. They also reach maturity within 10 years and provide a beautiful pale hardwood that can be stained to match any finish. Once this tree is harvested, it will grow back from the established root system for up to 70 years. Thus providing a faster time to market for all wood products. It is also one of the lightest hardwoods available. It can be cut thinner than typical veneer or used in commercial and detailed finish applications.