With the high levels of anti-deforestation coverage that is seen in the general society today the concept of burning wood pellets and utilizing other fuels that originate from trees is a touchy subject. Not only do most people feel that any sort of wood burning is highly damaging to the environment through both the removal of the tree as well as the burning of the resulting fuel to create carbon dioxide the social stigma behind deforestation as well can cause most people to simply pass by this form of biomass entirely.

While many of these concerns are quite valid, particularly when it comes to biomass derived from rain forests and other “untouched” regions there are alternatives, however, that can be found. Tree farms around the world, for instance, plant and develop crops of trees specifically used for the production of building material, paper mulch and, of course, biomass fuel. One such tree used in these farms that has become quite popular as of late is known as the Royal Empress.

The Royal Empress tree originates in China and is a highly resilient, highly adaptable hardwood tree with beautiful flowers that grows anywhere from 10 to 20 feet a year. Not only can it grow in virtually any environment from the arid lands of Arizona to the lush farm lands of the Pacific Northwest it is also naturally resistant to parasites and disease, requiring little to no maintenance as it grows. Further, it can be cut down for harvesting and re-grow out of its own stump up to 7 times in its life and can comfortably live for 70 years. As an added bonus in order to facilitate its quick growth and development it requires large quantities of CO2, making it up to 200% more efficient in carbon-dioxide filtering than most conventional trees.

Because of the hardy nature of these trees as well as their quick growth (and beauty, as they blossom with amazing flowers each Spring) the Royal Empress has become the tree of choice for tree farmers and residential home owners alike. For a tree farmer a one acre plot of land, for instance, could yield approximately 30,000 board feet of hardwood every 7 years – and at an average of $3 per board foot that means a profit of $90,000 every cycle. A 15 acre plot of land using one acre for a home, therefore, could yield approximately $180,000 off of little to no work every year if harvesting was cycled 2 acres at a time, and since the trees can grow again up to 7 times after they have been cut down that means virtually effortless money for the next 50 years of a tree farmer’s life.

On an environmental standpoint for those concerned about CO2 emissions the Royal Empress’ ability to absorb and convert roughly 200% more CO2 in the atmosphere than conventional trees also helps offset any loss caused by harvesting them regularly and using their wood for fuel. This in essence makes any fuel used from Royal Empress stock actually “green” rather than carbon neutral like many other biomass products are. The only downside about the tree is that it is so hardy and resilient that it could easily become an invasive species in many natural environments and push out native plants, thus potentially causing ecosystem imbalances. Thankfully to counter this most trees sold today are sterilized before being distributed in order to prevent unwanted spreading and make them save in a variety of areas.

For anyone interested in purchasing a Royal Empress you can do so comfortably online through a number of vendors as well as at many local garden stores. For less than $30 per tree (or even less than $15 a tree for large orders) this is a great, inexpensive way to make a big difference in your environment while helping to clean up the air around you. Alternatively it could also be a potentially highly lucrative business to consider entering, as a mere 7 years after starting you would be set for virtually the rest of your life – and again, all while helping the planet at the same time. In short, biomass from Royal Empress trees and others like them pay you back in more ways than one and are, overall, a strong benefit to society and the environment alike.