The fastest-growing trees add 3 to 5 feet a year or more: hybrid poplar, weeping willow, Green Giant arborvitae and Leyland cypress. Good fast shade trees add about 2 to 3 feet a year: silver maple, red maple, tulip poplar, sycamore, river birch and pin oak. Fast growth has a cost. Many fast trees have weak wood, short lives or aggressive roots, so pick the species for your need and zone, then plant it well.
Fast growing trees at a glance
| Need | Best picks | Growth per year |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy screen (evergreen) | Green Giant arborvitae, Leyland cypress, Nellie Stevens holly, eastern red cedar | 2 to 5 ft |
| Shade | Red maple, Autumn Blaze maple, tulip poplar, river birch, pin oak, sycamore | 2 to 3 ft |
| Fastest overall | Hybrid poplar, weeping willow, silver maple | 3 to 6 ft |
| Flowering | Crape myrtle, redbud, tulip tree, desert willow | 1 to 3 ft |
| Fruit | Peach, fig, mulberry, dwarf apple, plum | 1 to 3 ft |
| Windbreak | Norway spruce, eastern white pine, Austrian pine, hybrid poplar | 2 to 3 ft |
| Narrow or columnar | Emerald Green and columnar arborvitae, Italian cypress, Skyrocket juniper | 1 to 3 ft |
Rates are approximate and depend on sun, water and soil.
What are the fastest growing trees?
| Tree | Growth | Zones | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid poplar | 5 to 8 ft | 3 to 9 | Fastest shade and screen. Short-lived (15 to 30 years), brittle, roots seek water |
| Weeping willow | 3 to 5 ft | 4 to 9 | Loves wet soil. Roots invade pipes. Brittle |
| Green Giant arborvitae | 3 to 5 ft | 5 to 9 | Top privacy evergreen. Deer resistant |
| Leyland cypress | 3 to 4 ft | 6 to 10 | Fast screen, but prone to canker and storm damage |
| Silver maple | 2 to 3 ft | 3 to 9 | Weak limbs, shallow roots, short-lived |
| Tulip poplar (tulip tree) | 2 to 3 ft | 4 to 9 | Tall shade tree with tulip-like flowers |
| Sycamore | 2 to 3 ft | 4 to 9 | Huge. Needs space |
| Dawn redwood | 2 to 4 ft | 5 to 8 | Deciduous conifer, tall and narrow |
| Bald cypress | 2 ft | 4 to 10 | Tolerates wet or dry. Long-lived |
| Autumn Blaze maple | 2 to 3 ft | 3 to 8 | Red fall color, a red-silver maple hybrid |
| River birch | 2 ft or more | 4 to 9 | Peeling bark, tolerates wet soil |
| Eastern white pine | 2 ft or more | 3 to 8 | Soft evergreen, good screen |
| Paulownia (empress tree) | 6 to 10 ft | 5 to 9 | Extremely fast but invasive in the eastern US. Avoid |
| Bradford (Callery) pear | 2 to 3 ft | 5 to 8 | Splits in storms, invasive. Avoid |
What are the best fast growing trees for privacy?
| Tree | Height | Spread | Spacing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Giant arborvitae | 40 to 60 ft | 12 to 20 ft | 5 to 8 ft | Dense, deer resistant, low-maintenance |
| Leyland cypress | 50 to 60 ft | 10 to 15 ft | 6 to 10 ft | Fastest. Risk of canker and breakage |
| Nellie Stevens holly | 15 to 25 ft | 8 to 12 ft | 6 ft | Evergreen, berries, medium-fast |
| Eastern red cedar | 30 to 40 ft | 8 to 20 ft | 6 to 8 ft | Tough, drought tolerant |
| Emerald Green arborvitae | 12 to 15 ft | 3 to 4 ft | 3 to 4 ft | Narrow, slower, ~1 ft a year |
| Skyrocket juniper | 15 to 20 ft | 2 to 3 ft | 3 ft | Very narrow, good for tight spaces |
| Italian cypress | 20 to 40 ft | 3 to 6 ft | 4 to 6 ft | Tall and skinny, warm zones |
| Norway spruce | 40 to 60 ft | 20 to 30 ft | 10 to 15 ft | Big windbreak |
| Hybrid poplar | 40 to 60 ft | 15 to 30 ft | 6 to 10 ft | Fastest, deciduous, fades in winter |
Privacy tips: use a staggered double row, space by the mature width and plant 10 to 15 feet or more from a fence if the tree gets wide. Evergreens give year-round screening, deciduous trees only in leaf season. Cheap fast privacy trees: buy small container or bare-root stock, and plant a mix of species to avoid a single pest wiping out the row.
What are the best fast growing shade trees?
| Tree | Mature size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Red maple, Autumn Blaze maple | 40 to 60 ft | Reliable, bright fall color |
| Tulip poplar | 70 to 90 ft | Big, tall, yellow fall color |
| River birch | 40 to 60 ft | Multi-stem, tolerates wet soil |
| Pin oak, willow oak, Shumard oak | 50 to 70 ft | Faster oaks. See our oak tree guide |
| Sycamore | 70 to 100 ft | Huge, best on large lots |
| Bald cypress | 50 to 70 ft | Pyramidal and long-lived |
| Chinese pistache | 30 to 40 ft | Good in hot, dry climates |
| Silver maple | 50 to 80 ft | Fast but weak and shallow-rooted |
For small yards: crape myrtle, redbud, Japanese maple and dogwood (see our dogwood tree guide), though they grow slower. Low-maintenance shade trees: red maple, river birch, bald cypress and Shumard oak.
What are the best fast growing evergreen trees?
Green Giant arborvitae, Leyland cypress, eastern red cedar, eastern white pine, loblolly pine, Norway spruce, Nellie Stevens holly and, in the South, southern magnolia (moderate). Fast pine trees add 2 to 3 feet a year. Fast spruce, fir, cedar, cypress and juniper types are mostly 1 to 3 feet a year. Tall narrow evergreens include Italian cypress, Skyrocket juniper and columnar arborvitae.
What are the best fast growing flowering and ornamental trees?
| Tree | Notes |
|---|---|
| Crape myrtle | Summer blooms, 1 to 2 ft a year, zones 6 or 7 to 9 |
| Eastern redbud | Pink spring flowers, zones 4 to 9 |
| Tulip tree | Tulip-like yellow-green flowers, large |
| Desert willow | Pink trumpet flowers, drought tolerant, zones 7 to 11 |
| Flowering pear, cherry, crabapple | Flowering pear (Bradford) is invasive. See our pink flowers guide for others |
| Magnolia | Moderate growth, about 1 to 2 ft a year. See our magnolia tree guide |
| Dogwood | About 1 ft a year. See our dogwood tree guide |
What are the best fast growing fruit and nut trees?
| Tree | Time to bear | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Peach | 2 to 4 years | Fast but short-lived |
| Fig | 2 to 3 years | Fast and easy in warm zones |
| Mulberry | 3 to 5 years | Very fast. Messy fruit |
| Dwarf apple, pear | 2 to 5 years | Choose dwarf rootstock |
| Plum, cherry | 3 to 5 years | Some need a pollinator |
| Citrus | 2 to 4 years | Zones 9 to 10 or containers |
| Pecan | 6 to 10 years | Medium-fast, huge tree |
| Hybrid chestnut | 4 to 8 years | Wildlife and human food |
Fast-growing trees for deer: fast oaks (Nuttall, Shumard), chestnut, persimmon, crabapple and apple. Sawtooth oak is fast but invasive in some regions.
What are the best fast growing windbreak, firewood and timber trees?
- Windbreak: Norway spruce, white pine, eastern red cedar, Austrian pine, hybrid poplar. Plant in staggered rows.
- Firewood: black locust, hybrid poplar, silver maple, willow, sweetgum and tulip poplar.
- Timber: hybrid poplar, loblolly pine and black locust.
- Christmas trees: Leyland cypress, Norway spruce, white pine and Scotch pine reach harvest size in about 7 to 10 years.
What fast growing trees suit wet, dry or small spaces?
| Condition | Choices |
|---|---|
| Wet soil | Willow, bald cypress, river birch, sycamore, red maple, swamp white oak |
| Dry or drought | Desert willow, mesquite, Chinese pistache, Arizona cypress, Shumard oak |
| Small yard, small tree | Crape myrtle, redbud, dwarf fruit trees |
| Tall and skinny | Italian cypress, Skyrocket juniper, columnar arborvitae |
| Hot desert shade | Mesquite, palo verde, desert willow, Chilean mesquite |
Fast growing palms: Mexican fan palm and queen palm add 2 to 3 feet a year in warm zones. Cold hardy palms such as windmill palm grow more slowly. Tropical trees: banana, papaya, eucalyptus and royal poinciana, in zones 9 to 11.
What fast growing trees fit my zone?
| Zone | Picks |
|---|---|
| Zones 3 to 4 | Hybrid poplar, silver maple, Norway spruce, white pine, black locust |
| Zones 5 to 6 | Green Giant arborvitae, Autumn Blaze maple, river birch, tulip poplar, redbud |
| Zones 7 to 8 | Leyland cypress, willow oak, bald cypress, crape myrtle, loblolly pine |
| Zones 9 to 10 | Italian cypress, eucalyptus, jacaranda, Mexican fan palm, citrus, desert willow |
Pick native or well-adapted trees for your region, and ask a local nursery or extension office.
What are the drawbacks of fast growing trees?
| Drawback | What to know |
|---|---|
| Weak wood | Silver maple, poplar, willow and Bradford pear drop limbs in storms |
| Short lifespan | Poplar 15 to 30 years, silver maple 50 to 80, versus 200 or more for oaks |
| Aggressive roots | Willow, poplar and silver maple chase water and can damage pipes and paving |
| Messy | Seeds, twigs and cottony fluff |
| Invasive species | Paulownia, mimosa, Bradford pear and tree of heaven. Check local lists |
| Pests | Leyland cypress canker, borers in poplars |
Fast growing trees with non-invasive roots: no fast tree has truly harmless roots. Safer picks are Green Giant arborvitae, Nellie Stevens holly, crape myrtle and redbud. Plant any large tree 20 to 30 feet or more from pipes, foundations and septic lines.
Are any fast growing trees unsafe for horses?
Yes. Red maple leaves are toxic to horses (wilted leaves especially), black walnut shavings and wild cherry leaves are dangerous, and acorns can harm horses and livestock. Check a veterinary or extension list before planting near pasture.
How do you make a tree grow faster?
- Pick a species suited to your zone, light and soil. This matters more than anything.
- Plant at the right depth, with the root flare at or just above soil level.
- Remove grass in a 3 to 4 foot circle and mulch 2 to 3 inches, away from the trunk.
- Water deeply every week in the first two or three years.
- Use a slow-release fertilizer in spring only if a soil test shows a need. Over-feeding can cause weak growth.
- Prune only dead or crossing limbs. Heavy pruning slows growth.
- Stake only if the tree cannot stand alone, and remove stakes after a year.
Planting a fast privacy hedge: stagger the trees and space them at about the mature width. Growing from seed or cuttings: poplar and willow root from cuttings stuck in moist soil, and tulip poplar, black locust and sycamore grow from seed, though a nursery sapling is much faster.
Which fast growing trees can you grow indoors or as bonsai?
Indoors: fiddle-leaf fig, rubber plant, weeping fig, dracaena and schefflera grow fastest, in bright light. Bonsai: ficus, Chinese elm and trident maple grow quickly. A jade plant (see our jade plant guide) is slow but easy.
Quick answers to common questions
What is the fastest growing tree?
Hybrid poplar and weeping willow (about 5 feet a year), with paulownia faster but invasive.
What are the best fast growing trees for privacy?
Green Giant arborvitae, Leyland cypress, Nellie Stevens holly and eastern red cedar.
What are the best fast growing shade trees?
Red maple, Autumn Blaze maple, tulip poplar, river birch and pin oak.
Do fast growing trees have drawbacks?
Yes: weak wood, short life, aggressive roots and sometimes invasiveness.
How do you make a tree grow faster?
Choose the right species, plant at the right depth, mulch, water deeply and avoid heavy pruning.
Keep reading: oak tree, dogwood tree, magnolia tree, pink flowers, how to compost and more lawn and garden guides.
Which fast growing trees should you plant?
Match the tree to your need and zone, accept the trade-offs, and give it a good start. For a quick screen, Green Giant arborvitae is the safest bet. For shade, red or Autumn Blaze maple or river birch give fast, dependable results without the worst weaknesses of poplars and willows.
