Landscape Design

The Fastest Fast Growing Trees

By Ben | June 9, 2010

Some of the most popular trees around today are fast growing trees.  Fast growing trees give homeowners the opportunity to realize the benefits of a mature tree sooner. Individuals seem to especially focus on using fast growing shade trees and fast growing hedges in their landscape to reap the benefits of these value added landscape design practices sooner.  Today, I want to focus on ten of the fastest fast growing trees available on arborday.org.  Once these trees are properly planted and established these trees will grow several feet per year.

In no particular order these are some of the fastest growing trees available.  Please note that with proper tree care you can accelerate the growth of these trees even more.  A solid root system will go a long way in helping trees to grow faster and good annual pruning practices will help maximize the potential of your tree.

Hybrid Poplar

A very fast-growing tree, up to 5 to 8 feet per year.  A versatile tree that can be used as a deciduous screen, shade tree to reduce energy cost, and often planted in rows for firewood.

Weeping Willow

Depending on the cultivar weeping willow trees can grow from 3 to 8 feet per year, making it one of the fastest of the fast growing trees. Salix babylonica will grow 3 feet per year.

Quaking Aspen

This speedy growing tree is a member of the same family as Hybrid Poplar.  It averages 2 to 3 of growth per year and adds value to any landscape because of tremendous fall color.

October Glory Red Maple

The fast growing red maple cultivar has been bred for brilliant fall foliage.  See Julie Walton Shaver growth rate chart and pictures of her October Glory Red Maple tree from 1999 to 2006.

Arborvitae Green Giant

Growing up to 3 feet a year this hybrid is an exceptional landscape tree for use as a screen, hedge, windbreak, or single specimen.

River Birch

Known for its unique bark, fall color, and bird habitat the River Birch is also one of the fastest growing birches. Betula nigra can grow up to 1.5 to 2 feet per year in ideal conditions.

Dawn Redwood

On good sites, its growth is rapid, with a tree in Virginia reaching 120 feet in 30 years or an average of 4 feet per year.

Leyland Cypress

This rapidly growing evergreen can easily grow 3 feet per year and has a great column shape making it an extremely popular tree in home landscape design.

Paper Birch

This extremely popular fast growing tree has been known to grow at 1.5 to 2 feet per year.

Pin Oak

A large shade tree that quickly reaches its 70 foot height with an average growth rate of 2.5 feet per year.

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  • Susanne Rossi January 11, 2018 at 11:10 am

    I’d like to plant an aspen tree, I have one that is 10ft tall but would like another one say 6-7 ft to plant my zone is 6 the neighbors down the road have several adult Aspens but I was told Blight is common in aspens, any way to prevent that from happening? Thankyou. Susie Rossi

  • DanielsMack August 16, 2018 at 2:15 am

    Thanks for this brief and informative description about some of the fastest plants. All the trees are beautiful and there are many benefits to these trees. In these plants, the Leyland Cypress tree is beneficial for both for maintaining privacy and decorate your home.

  • George Frazier February 8, 2019 at 10:27 pm

    What about Monterey Oak? They grow 4’ annually to about 40’.

  • Mike March 16, 2019 at 9:09 am

    White Pine are pretty fast growing. Planning to plant some soon! Yay Spring!

  • Jim May 26, 2019 at 9:01 pm

    What tree takes the longest to reach maturity, flowering and creating seeds?

    I read that the english oak is 40 years before maturity, but is there one that takes longer than that?

    • Sheereen Othman August 29, 2019 at 9:43 am

      There are many variables and growing conditions that could affect the growth rate of a tree. The slowest-growing tree is said to be the cedar tree. It takes 150 years to grow four inches.

  • Lauren June 4, 2019 at 7:01 am

    Appreciated but the war on invasives is dangerous to existing habitat.
    https://www.livescience.com/30119-invasive-species-plants-good.html

  • Trish B June 22, 2019 at 10:41 pm

    Difficult to choose a favorite tree in your article, they are all stunning but I think my heart now belongs to the quaking aspen. You offer a good selection, thanks for all the beautiful trees!

  • Leslie Bender August 7, 2019 at 9:08 pm

    What tree is pictured at the beginning of the article (headline picture) it has a beautiful rounded yellow leaf! Would love to know! Thank you

  • Mary Jo Davis August 20, 2019 at 8:01 am

    What do you think of globe willow?
    I love the symmetrical canopy Are the prone to bugs?
    Thanks

    • Sheereen Othman August 29, 2019 at 9:26 am

      They are lovely trees and quite hardy. They are susceptible to insects such as aphids, beetle borers, caterpillars, and spider mites.

      • Ashlee Lee September 21, 2019 at 3:38 pm

        Ok I finally found out it’s a Siberian Elm. It grows crazy fast and NM is coooooovered with them!

  • gustavo del Valle August 30, 2019 at 7:14 am

    Hello! …and what about the Kiri? Thanks

  • Ashlee Lee September 21, 2019 at 2:21 pm

    HELP!!!!
    There is a type of tree growing here in New Mexico that grows like weeds! It grows ANYWHERE it lands and it grows fast. My husband cut one down in the ally behind our house and it grew back with a vengeance! I think it grows 2-4 feet a year and I cannot find what kind of tree this is!

  • Lloyd Knowles September 29, 2019 at 5:38 pm

    Regarding the Quaking aspen: beautiful tree but very invasive. Our mountain canyons here in Utah are full of them – all growing of of the same root system (that’s per cluster, not the whole mountain; but a cluster can cover a mile or more in the wild). We’ve had a couple in our neighborhood and they are constantly sprouting new trunks! They will grow through cracks in concrete. But that said – they are beautiful and vary fast growing.

  • scott pool February 10, 2020 at 1:33 am

    I WANT A FEW BLUE SPRUCE FOR MY NEW HOME I REALLY LIKE THE CHINESE HOLLY BUSH BUT SO EXPENSIVE GREAT UNDER WINDOWS THOUGH — MY NEXT FAV ARE THE MAGNOLIAS BIG WHITE FLOWERS SMELL GREAT IF YOUR NOSE IS NOT CLOGGED UP WHERE DO I FIND SOME KY COFFEE TREES IF ONLY SEEDLINGS I WANT THEM

  • Sam Gerges March 3, 2020 at 7:41 am

    Looking for evergreen, fast growing, partial shade, dry soil , eventually 40 -50 feet high. Will analyze the soil. Southern Maine location.

    • Sheereen Othman March 3, 2020 at 10:14 am

      Try out the Tree WizardTree WizardTree Wizard to see which trees are best for your area and meet your criteria.

  • Ronald Wendt April 20, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    Hello Ben,
    I live in Houston Texas and would like your recommendation for a fast growing shade tree?
    I know I missed the planting season for this spring but will plant in November.
    Thanks,
    Ron

  • Lorny Henry August 23, 2020 at 10:46 am

    Isn’t it called a tamarack tree in North America?? Turns gold in fall and loses its needles

  • Sandy October 11, 2020 at 11:03 pm

    Hoo Soo good