Sugar Maple (Hard Maple) vs Empress Tree
Acer saccharum
Paulownia tomentosa
Sugar Maple is a large, deciduous tree known for its brilliant fall yellow, orange, and red-orange color display.
This long-lived shade tree features unique "maple"
lobed leaves.
Note: this Zone 4 tree is unlikely to produce commercially viable sap on the prairies.
The Empress Tree is a fast growing, ornamental shade tree. It has purple, fragrant flowers that are quite attractive. The flowers emerge before the leaves in early spring. The leaves of this tree can grow very large, up to 30 cm long.
As one of the fastest growing trees in the world, this tree has been given considerable attention for carbon sequestration projects. It drops many seeds which can make it invasive in warmer climates. Please do some research and plant the right tree in the right place.
The Empress tree’s genus name comes from Princess Paulowna, daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia.