When it comes to yard improvements that require many years of patience to reap the rewards of, waiting for a tree to grow is at the top of the list. But not all trees require you to wait decades for them to get to a decent size. There are some fast growing tree varieties that you can choose, which give homeowners the opportunity to enjoy all of the benefits a mature tree has to offer much sooner. But why plant a fast-growing tree, and what variety should you choose?
Why Plant a Fast-Growing Tree?
There are many different reasons to plant a fast-growing tree in your yard. Fast growing trees are great to add some privacy to your space, or to enhance your curb appeal. They can also be a great way to shade your home. Keeping sunlight off your home and out of your windows helps reduce how much your home heats up through the course of the day, which means less energy spent on running fans or air conditioners.
5 Fastest Growing Trees
- Hybrid Poplar
A very fast-growing tree, hybrid poplars can grow up to 5 to 8 feet per year. These versatile trees can be planted as a screen or to provide shade. Hybrid poplar trees are best planted far enough away from your home that an occasional broken limb won’t pose a safety hazard.
- Weeping Willow
Different cultivars of weeping willows grow at different rates, ranging from 3 to 8 feet per year. These graceful trees are known for their open crowns of long limbs with long, slender leaves. These trees produce foliage very early in the spring, are easy to grow, and can reach heights of between 30 and 40 feet.
- Quaking Aspen
Another fast-growing tree is the quaking aspen, which is in the same family as the hybrid poplar. It averages 2 to 3 feet of growth per year, and puts on a spectacular display of colored foliage each fall.
- Red Sunset Maple
Known as one of the best red maple cultivars, this tree delivers on color. Winter buds, clusters of small winter/spring flowers, leaf stems, twigs and winged summer fruits all carry a red hue. They also provide spectacular color each fall. The lovely color coupled with their fast growth rate makes them a great choice for enhancing curb appeal.
- Silver Maple
The lovely silver-colored underside of the silver maple’s leaves gives it a shimmery effect on breezy days. It’s fast growth rate is thanks largely to its large and wide-spreading root system, which makes choosing the right planting location important to avoid damage to your foundation or drainage pipes.
Ways to Encourage Fast, Healthy Growth
One of the best ways to encourage any tree, fast growing or not, to reach its full potential each season is to provide it with proper care. Encourage a healthy root system with deep, infrequent watering, and make sure the tree gets a good annual pruning to encourage health limb growth.
If you need advice on what kind of tree to plant in your yard, our team of highly-qualified arborists have extensive experience and training to help you assess potential tree locations to decide what is appropriate for the space. We’ll discuss your options with you, and give you a written estimate for any work you’d like to have done. You can trust our years of experience to get the job done right.