Creating a welcoming outdoor space with trees can be an exciting project. Especially if you have an eye for aesthetics, however, some trees grow slowly and take decades to mature, whereas others grow fast. Therefore, homeowners search for fast-growing trees because they not only enhance the look of your yard but also provide benefits such as boosting the value of your property and creating a cooler, healthier environment. The right fast-growing tree will not only fill the void of your yard area but also increase its charm.
Explore this detailed guide of 15 unique fast-growing trees before you make an informed decision.
15 Fast-Growing Trees
Chinese Tallow Trees / Sapium Sebiferum
Chinese tallow trees grow faster by adding 12-18 inches every year and reach up to 40 feet tall. They thrive well in USDA zones 8-10 under full sun and in well-drained soil. They are one of the alternatives to poplars in warmer areas, and the leaves also change colour in the fall. Chinese tallow trees make a rounded canopy that offers excellent shade.
However, the tree tends to drop flowers and fruits seasonally. Hence, it's better not to plant them near patios, decks or terrace areas and utilise the back of your yard area or any corner for best use.
Dawn Redwood / Metasequoia Glyptostroboides
Dawn redwood trees grow faster by adding about 2 feet each year and reach up to 80 feet taller and 25 feet wide after they mature properly. It is best suited for USDA zones 4-8, and grows well in moist or wet soil and under full sun. Dawn redwood is one of the great ways for making a privacy space, if you have a large residential area.
It often looks like an evergreen tree with soft, fine needles in the growing season. However, its foliage turns red and brown in autumn before the arrival of winter and shows its beautiful branches and textured bark.
Japanese Pagoda Tree / Sophora Japonica or Styphnolobium Japonicum
The Japanese pagoda tree is a fast-growing tree which is native to China and Japan, and requires minimal maintenance. It also flourishes in a limited range of the United States. It produces a wide crown with lush green leaves and clusters of creamy, fragrant flowers in the summer. It adds up to 12-15 inches each year and 75 feet in height on maturity. It grows well in USDA zones 6-8 and in temperate areas of zone 5.
The Japanese pagoda tree is best known for its tolerance to heat, pollution and drought, and is often planted in urban areas. The tree prefers sun or partial shade with rich and well-drained soil to flourish properly.
Silver Maple / Acer Saccharinum
Silver maple is one of the most common trees in the U.S, which is native to eastern North America. It grows 1-2 feet every year and reaches 100 feet tall and 70 feet wide. It is a common shade tree, but it also has shallow roots and weak branches.
Red maple (Acer rubrum) is a relative of silver maple, which grows about 50 feet tall and 40 feet wide and is smaller in nature. It is native to North America and admired for its vibrant fall colours. Both silver and red maple are best suited for USDA zones 3-9 and grow well under full sun or partial shade with well-drained soil.
Cottonwoods and Lombardy Poplars
Cottonwoods, also known as populus deltoides, are commonly found along rivers and wet areas in the eastern U.S. They flourish fast, up to 3 to 4 feet each year and reach up to 70 feet tall, but they have brittle and weak wood. This tree grows in zones 3-9 with full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil.
Originating from Italy, Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra var italica) is a close relative to cottonwoods. It grows even faster, up to 6 feet per year, and is often used as a 40 to 50-foot-tall privacy screen.
Crape Myrtle / Lagerstroemia indica
Crape myrtle is one of the fast-growing trees that adds shade, privacy and colour to your outdoor space without a long wait. It is available in many cultivars and offers eye-catching blooms in pink, purple, red, white or lavender. Some of the varieties bloom in early summer, whereas others brighten landscapes on the hot days of late summer.
Based on their type, they usually grow up to 35 feet tall and wide. Crape myrtle can be planted as accents, shade trees, borders or even in groups with groundcovers and shrubs. The smaller types can grow in large containers too. It is well-suited for USDA zones 5-9.
Emerald Green Arborvitae / Thuja Smaragd
Emerald green arborvitae is one of the great choices amongst fast-growing trees. It can grow up to 5 feet a year and reach 8-12 feet tall on maturity and 3-4 feet wide. It has a dense, column-like shape which is ideal for windbreaks, noise barriers or privacy screens. It is suited for zones 3-8 that resist most pests and tolerate pruning.
For better results, it is suggested to plant them 3 feet apart and keep at least 4 feet away from any building structure for better airflow. The "green giant" arborvitae is larger than the emerald green arborvitae, which thrives up to 40-60 feet tall and 20 feet wide. It is ideal for zones 5-8 and for spacious yards.
Sargent Cherry / Prunus Sargentii
The spring Sargent cherry can be a great choice if you admire Japanese cherry trees. It is a fast-growing tree that offers beauty in every season. It blooms with delicate pink flowers with smooth red-brown bark in the spring season. It has purple leaves that turn green in summer and end with red, orange and golden shades in fall. The tree reaches about 20-25 feet tall and 18-24 feet wide and thrives well in zones 4-8. The Sargent tree was developed by Bailey Nurseries from a seed collected in Hokkaido, Japan.
Quaking Aspen / Populus Tremuloides
Quaking aspen is admired for its golden fall colour. It has a unique "quaking" effect when its flat leaf stalks make the leaves shimmer in the wind. It is native to North America and grows well in full sun and well well-suited for zones 2-5. The quaking aspen tree can reach up to 60 feet tall and spread about 20-30 feet wide. In Utah's Wasatch Mountains, all the trees are connected with each other by a single root system.
Pin Oak / Quercus Palustris
The pin oak tree has unique branches that grow in all directions, looking like pins on a pincushion. It is well-known for its strength and is mainly used as a street tree. This can grow up to 40-60 feet tall and about 40 feet wide. However, it can also reach about 100 feet under perfect conditions. It grows well in zones 4-8.
During fall, its leaves turn red to bronze and often stay on the tree during winter. Pink oak grows well in most rich and well-drained soil. However, it struggles in alkaline soil, which changes the colour of the leaves to yellow.
Eastern Redbud / Cercis Canadensis
The eastern redbud is one of the low-maintenance trees that makes a striking focal point in gardens. It looks like a beautiful addition to small yards. Every spring, it blossoms with clusters of pink to purple flowers along bare branches and makes heart-shaped leaves that turn golden yellow in fall. It grows 1-2 feet per year, and starts flowering within four years of planting.
It has different varieties like 'Forest Pansy' with deep purple leaves, 'Rising Sun' with golden-orange growth and 'Appalachian Red' with neon-pink blooms, adding unique beauty to your space. It thrives well in USDA zones 4-9, and reaches up to 20-30 feet tall and 25-35 feet wide. Eastern redbud prefers full sun to partial shade and well-draining soil.
Tulip Tree / Liriodendron Tulipifera
The tulip tree is tall in nature and thrives up to 60 to 90 feet tall and 30 to 50 feet wide. It perfectly adds shape and beauty to a large outdoor space. It has smooth grey bark and unique four-lobed leaves that form a bold texture. During late spring to early summer, it brings stunning greenish-yellow, tulip-shaped flowers with bright orange streaks. You can avoid trimming the lower branches so the flower grows higher to enjoy the blooms.
It thrives well in zones 4 to 9 and under full sun to partial sun with moist, rich and well-draining loamy soil. Tulip trees bring year-round charm and offer lasting colour.
Southern Catalpa / Catalpa Bignonioides
The southern catalpa tree grows faster, up to 3 feet a year. Hence, it is a striking choice for your outdoor space. It is well-known for its large, heart-shaped leaves with clusters of white trumpet-shaped flowers with purple and yellow accents. It develops into a 40-foot-wide beauty, which makes it an eye-catching choice for homeowners. It has long bean-like seed pods that add extra interest during the fall and winter.
It is loved by pollinators and can bring charm and year-round appeal if maintained properly. It is well-suited for zones 5-9 and grows 30 to 60 feet tall and 20 to 40 feet wide under full sun to partial shade with moist and well-drained soil.
Sweetbay Magnolia / Magnolia virginiana
The sweetbay magnolia is a smaller version of the Southern magnolia and perfect for damp, low-lying gardens and small spaces. This native tree is often multi-stemmed and has glossy evergreen leaves with a silvery underside that adds a year-round beauty. Sweetbay produces fragrant, creamy white flowers during late spring to early summer, which start blooming at the age of six. It grows 10 to 35 feet tall and wide and thrives well in 5-10 zones with full sun to partial shade. It prefers moist, slightly acidic soil for healthy growth.
Korean Mountain Ash / Sorbus Alnifolia
The Korean mountain ash is native to East Asia, which adds beauty in every season. It blossoms with clusters of white flowers in May and shows heavier blooms one year and lighter the next year. The bright red berries appear in the summer and last into fall. During autumn, its glossy green leaves turn shades of yellow and red. During winter, its smooth, light grey bark, similar to beech, adds a charm to your space. It can grow up to 40-50 feet tall and 25-30 feet wide. It thrives in zones 3-7 under full sun, moist, well-drained and slightly acidic soil.
Conclusion!
Planting a fast-growing tree in the outdoor space is one of the healthiest investments one can ever make. However, whether a fast-growing plant or a slow one, each one of them requires utmost care to ensure it blossoms well for a longer period.
