Gunpowder Tree

[cornbelt]

For those who are making their own powder, I planted a Royal Paulownia seed last spring. It is about 8 feet tall now. Meanwhile, a neighbor brought over a trunk section of the same that I can barely reach around. It had 8 growth rings. That stuff grows fast! Seeds came from Ukraine thru fleabay. FWIW

[Minerat]

Better check with your county weed control agent to see if it is on the invasive species list.

[GregLaROCHE]

Better check with your county weed control agent to see if it is on the invasive species list.

I agree, if it’s not something found locally.

[Gofaaast]

Sounds like what we call Missouri Palms. They grow like weeds and spread the same as well.

[Scrounge]

It's considered an invasive species here in Oklahoma. I think I'll pass. I'm going to need something, though. I have a couple large silver maples that needs to come out, and a couple of badly places mulberry trees. I like mulberries, but these gotta go. Stone fruit don't do well here, and I'd rather have edibles instead of shade trees, but do need shade too. So far, nothing I have planted has done well here. There is very little topsoil. And not enough surface water in my location for willows.

Bill

[FLINTNFIRE]

Looking on a few pyrotechnic sites it sounds like it makes a good powder .

[waksupi]

It sounds like your neighbors, and state residents may hang you for growing it! Highly invasive!

http://www.ecosystemgardening.com/paulownia-princess-tree-on-most-hated-plants-list.html

[SeaMonkey]

With proper tending and care it need not be "invasive."

So long as you plan to harvest it regularly it shouldn't be a problem.

Controlling growth and spread really is not difficult.

[Edward]

With proper tending and care it need not be "invasive."

So long as you plan to harvest it regularly it shouldn't be a problem.

Controlling growth and spread really is not difficult.

BULL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! bet starlings and snakefish/carp are a good idea too (NOT)

[Loudenboomer]

What we need is a Primer Tree. Invasive. Seeding out CCI 450's all over the farm. I'll have no problems getting harvest help now! :)

[MrWolf]

Tree of Heaven supposedly makes good powder and is probably in your area but you may not know it. It is an invasive species. Swore I had never seen it here until I took a really good look and was surprised how much there really was growing here.

[cornbelt]

Yeah, we have Tree of Heaven here. And it does make good powder. When I can make a batch with Paulownia, I'll have something for comparison. As to being invasive, it already grows locally, and a chin saw works wonders on such stuff. The REAL invasive plant is Asian Honeysuckle. Don't know what they are good for except the exercise I get keeping it under control.

[waksupi]

With proper tending and care it need not be "invasive."

So long as you plan to harvest it regularly it shouldn't be a problem.

Controlling growth and spread really is not difficult.

I've got raspberrys growing here, courtesy of birds eating at my neighbors place a half mile away. I sure never planted them.

[cornbelt]

Where I get Tree of Heaven is in the power line right-of-way. They give it a major haircut every 5 years. Doesn't kill it, but keeps it in check. Less work for me, and the sprouts aren't too big to use w/only years growth.

[bedbugbilly]

Whoever thinks that planting an invasive species is a wise thing to do and that it can be controlled by careful tending needs to have a reality check. If they think that . . . perhaps they should be writing a book on just he proper method to follow for insuring that every seed is collected and not spread by birds and wildlife?

I'm not debating the attributes of the species - good or badd for making powder. But planting an invasive species may work for you . . .but it isn't "about you" . . it's about everyone around you. We had a guy plant an invasive species in his yard because he thought it was a "pretty tree" . . . we ended up fighting it for years on the farm and in just a matter of several years, it would take over untilled pastures, fence rows, etc. I sold th farm in 2019 and it is still no better and I put up with it for close to 35 years. (southern Michigan)

Want another good example. Cedar trees. We had one 160 acre chunk that we didn't till . . woods, swamp, hilly, etc. that we used for summer pasture for the cows. A few cedar trees got started . . . then the birds would eat the berries and sit in the hardwood trees and their droppings contained the seeds . . . in just a few years, there would be a growth of cedar trees all around the base of the hardwood trees - easily anywhere from twenty to a hundred. More trees equals less pasture. In 1967, my brother and I spent most of the summer with a bulldozer and a Gravely with a front mount horizontal buzz saw that we could cut up to 8" diameter tree trunk flush with the ground to get then cleaned out. What we couldn't cut, we pulled with the dozer. It's never ending though as it's impossible to get everyone one and all it takes is a very few seeds to get the shoe process stated over again because the birds and wildlife don't care where they leave their deposits.

So you may "think" you are controlling your invasive species . . . but what about the one seed that gets picked up by a bird and by the time it goes through its system, the bird is sitting in a tree or bush somewhere a mile away from your tree and it leaves the dropping with the seed in it on your neighbor's property? Are you going to make sure that all the seeds from that orphan tree are picked up? I doubt it.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Well others would say your fields are the invasive habitat , grew up on a farm cutting the trees and brush back to enlarge the fields , so invasive species would be humans .

Plants do spread in areas where they were not natural , some die off earlier because of that others flourish , looks like this species has already been planted and spread , some are calling it invasive , some are not , some could care less what others do , some worry more about what others are doing and can not see the log in their own eye .

Guess this whole conversation went from talking about a possible good source for black powder charcoal to environment .

Tree of heaven is considered a invasive by some , oh western red alder was a noxious weed according to Wa. state forestry back when I was younger and logging , probably still is , even though it is native to this area and injects nitrogen into the soil .

Guess I will not worry about it , though I will say I hope it makes good powder for you .

[Hossfly]

Well i think I’ll, stick with willow, its like everywhere here around the creeks and lakes in this area. Still looking for sassafras tho just cant find any like i used to, in the fence rows.

[waksupi]

BULL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! bet starlings and snakefish/carp are a good idea too (NOT)

Don't forget kudzu!

https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/stories-in-indiana/kudzu-invasive-species/

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Well i think I’ll, stick with willow, its like everywhere here around the creeks and lakes in this area. Still looking for sassafras tho just cant find any like i used to, in the fence rows.

Down in the southern part of the state fence rows have been removed to maximize crop yield. Lot of pheasant cover gone.....

[toot]

from the UKRAINE, why am I not surprised?

[cornbelt]

Turns out I could have gotten it locally. The Judge has a couple in his yard. When I see him going to the hoosegow, I'll harvest mine. I really don't want to have to work with a log, anyhow.

Now, would anyone like to comment who might have experience with Paulownia CHARCOAL?

[Scrounge]

I've got raspberrys growing here, courtesy of birds eating at my neighbors place a half mile away. I sure never planted them.

I'd consider that a feature, not a bug. I can't seem to get anything but weeds to grow in my yard. Count your blessings!;)

[Eddie Southgate]

What's wrong with plain old willow ? I thought willow was prime makins for gunpowder charcoal .