Fast Growing Trees

For a list of fast growers to consider, see BLI's list of fast growing trees.

A fast growing shade tree or evergreen tree adds beauty and privacy to your landscape without making you wait a decade to see results. While it may be tempting to pick the fastest growing tree that will thrive in your climate, keep in mind that not all fast growers hold the same potential. If you're looking for quick development from your trees, consider both the planting site and the species of tree to avoid problems a few years from now.

Choose fast growing trees with care.

Fast growth is nice, but don't make it your primary criterion for choosing a tree. Because most homeowners would prefer their trees grow fast, some less-than-scrupulous landscape contractors offer trees that are fast growing, but will cause problems later on. For instance, although the Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford') is popular for its growth rate and flowers, it has problems with limbs splitting and often falls apart in less than twenty years. Or instead of using the more landscape-friendly—but more expensive—Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) or American elm (Ulmus americana), a landscaper might use the Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila), which is prone to diseases, limb breakage, and elm leaf beetle and is also messy.

So before you make your final decision about which trees to invest in, do a "background check" on the species and make sure it's really what you want.

If you're not sure what which tree is right for your landscape, browse through BLI's list of fast growing trees for suggestions for deciduous, condifers, shade trees, and flowering trees. Also get tips on which trees not to plant.

Location

Any tree will grow faster in a location that supplies the right soil conditions and amount of water and sunlight for that particular species of tree. When selecting your tree, keep in mind the conditions of the future planting site. Regional conditions like your USDA zone are important, but don't overlook the specific conditions of your garden, such as slopes, shady areas, or patches of low quality soil

One drawback to trees that grow fast is that they also have surface root systems that develop quickly. Because of this, fast growers should be planted well away from septic tank drain lines or sewer lines. To some degree this is important with all trees, but it's critical with fast growing species.

Needless to say, the trees should also be planted a good distance away from powerlines and roofs. With large shade trees, it's safest to keep them seperated by one-half the distance of their spread (at maturity) from any structure or overhead objects. These trees should also be kept the full width of the mature tree away from the trunk of any other large tree. For smaller trees, allow at least half the mature spread of the existing tree, plus half the spread of the tree you're going to plant.

Encouraging your trees

Plant at the proper depth, avoid excessive packing of the fill-soil, construct a water basin to hold water initially, water the tree in after planting, and mulch with 2 to 3 inches of an organic material such as pine bark or pine straw.

You’ll also want to take your location into consideration when choosing trees. In tropical areas like Florida, almost everything grows fast, so think about how much pruning you’ll want to and be able to do.

If you live in or near an urban area and are thinking about planting a fast growing tree, stop by UrbanTree.org to learn why topping trees is a bad idea and discover alternatives to topping.