Home » Misc » Quickly growing trees

Quickly growing trees


Top 13 Fastest Growing Trees – FastGrowingTrees.com

Whether you've just moved into your home or have spent many years making it your own, there's one area that deserves special attention: your landscape and its trees. Trees present a unique opportunity to personalize your home, but the decades they can take to fully mature can be frustrating.

Luckily, there are plenty of fast-growing trees that can thrive in multiple plant hardiness growing zones.

The Thuja Green Giant is an evergreen tree that can grow in Zones 5 to 9 at a rate of 3 to 5 feet per year. After three years it can reach 15 to 20 feet and, at its mature height, it stands at 30 to 40 feet fall. The Thuja Green Giant Tree is not only fast-growing but also incredibly resilient. It is drought tolerant, disease and insect resistant, and very adaptable. It grows in a uniform shape and height without having to be pruned or sheared, making it a low-maintenance and popular option for homeowners.

The Leyland Cypress Tree is the fastest-growing privacy tree and used in horticulture to form screens from the neighbors yards. It grows in Zones 6 to 10 at a rate of about 3 to 4 feet per year. Like the Thuja Green Giant, it reaches about 15 to 20 feet after three years, but is much taller at its mature height, measuring 40 to 60 feet. The Leyland Cypress is easily pruned and has aesthetically pleasing foliage that's soft to the touch. They grow quickly in a variety of soil types, so it doesn’t take much yard prep to reap the benefits of the Leyland Cypress's privacy and fast growth.

A hybrid blend of the Silver Maple and red maple, the Autumn Blaze Red Maple Tree isn't found naturally growing wild but can be purchased and grown in Zones 3 to 8. It grows 3 to 5 feet per year and can reach 15 to 20 feet within three years. Once it reaches maturity it's typically between 40 and 50 feet. As a dense branching shade tree, it can be relied upon for cool shade in the summer and astonishingly vibrant color in the fall.

The Weeping Willow is a hybrid of the Peking Willow and the White Willow. It grows in Zones 4 to 9 at a rate of 4 to 8 feet every year. At the peak of its maturity, it typically measures 30 to 40 feet but can reach 15 to 30 feet within its first three years. The Weeping Willow is a dramatic addition to any landscape, and its unique shape and branching make it quite the statement piece.

If you don't have the yard space for a large tree, the Black Bamboo may be a more realistic option. It can grow outdoors in Zones 7 to 10 but also thrives indoors with exposure to sunlight. Its culms turn black within three years of emerging, growing 3 to 5 feet per year and reaching a peak height of 15 to 30 feet. It needs rich topsoil to grow strong culms and, although it can have a slow start, will spread rapidly when it approaches maturity. They're easy to trim and can even be used to create a privacy screen.

The Baby Giant Arborvitae Tree is another fast-growing evergreen, but it grows in a more compact format that makes it popular as hedging. It thrives in Zones 5 to 9 and reaches a maximum height of about 14 feet. Since it reaches about 8 to 10 feet in three years and grows an average of 3 feet per year, it works well for new homeowners who are looking to create privacy or boundaries without the drastic height of most other fast-growing trees.

Able to withstand temperatures down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit, the Lombardy Poplar is an extremely hardy deciduous polar. Aside from its attractive, Italian inspired appearance, it is often used to block wind, standing at 40 to 60 feet upon reaching maturity. It can grow 8 to 10 feet per year and measures 30 to 40 feet tall after only three years. Their yellow fall foliage and elegance adds to their appeal for homeowners.

The Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree is one of the most visually stunning trees found on Earth. Native to Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea, it can also be found planted in frost-free areas and on patios throughout the United States. During the winter, it can be transferred indoors and kept near a south-facing window. It grows on patios in Zones 4 to 11 and fully outdoors in Zones 9 to 11. At full maturity, it reaches a height of 60 to 80 feet, but it can be trimmed to suit your personal preferences. Its fast growth of 3 to 5 feet per year makes it a favorite among eclectic and artistic homeowners who want to individualize their homescapes.

Not many trees can boast the elegance and flamboyance that the Tulip Poplar produces year in and year out. It's actually not closely related to a Tulip or Poplar tree, but rather to a Magnolia. As a flowering tree, its bright blooms blossom in May and June, complemented by yellow leaves that turn green as they age. It’s one of the most impressive trees on our list, growing up to 6 feet per year and reaching 70 feet or more once mature. They grow best in open areas that receive full sun. If you're looking to add color and personality to your landscape, the fast-growing Tulip Poplar is an optimal choice.

Unlike the more aromatic Bradford Pear, the Cleveland Pear is a beautiful flowering tree that effuses a lovely scent in the spring when it blooms. It can withstand -10 degrees Fahrenheit and flourishes in Zones 5 to 8. It averages a growth rate of 4 feet per year and stands at 30 to 40 feet tall once it's mature. Additionally, it grows uniformly, so it doesn't need to be managed or pruned constantly. The dainty white blooms in the spring and vibrant orange foliage in the fall can spruce up any home.

As the first and only palm tree on our list, the Mexican Fan Palm grows about 3 feet per year and is a stately addition to the interior or exterior of any home. If you'd like to cultivate one of these trees outdoors, you'll have to be located in Zones 8 to 11. However, the Mexican Fan Palm can be grown on patios in Zones 4 to 11 and then transported indoors. It measures 50 to 70 feet once mature and is a fantastic landscape piece.

The Heritage River Birch can prosper in Zones 4 to 9. It grows about 3 to 4 feet in height every year and stands at 50 to 20 feet after only three years. This fast-growing shade tree adapts well to a variety of soil types, so many households successfully grow these trees regardless of the quality and texture of the soil. The soil does, however, need to be well-drained, and full sunlight is needed for this tree to reach its full potential. This River Birch has a unique peeling bark that stands out in a cluster of other birch tree species.

While some trees don't fare well in the colder temperatures of the northern United States, the prosperity of the Quaking Aspen Tree more than makes up for the disappointment that north-dwelling burgeoning horticulturists may feel. It can withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit and grows up to 5 feet per year in height. Its mature height is 40 to 50 feet, 15 to 30 of which is gained in the first three years. The Quaking Aspen got its name from the gentle quake of the branches when a breeze passes through the tree. The Quaking Aspen's gorgeous fall color is sure to add to the autumnal elegance of any landscape.

Overall, Willow Trees and Poplar Trees are among the fastest-growing trees for colder growing zones, while Evergreen Trees and Conifers can be relied upon to grow quickly in many different climates.

You don't have to wait years or even decades to see a tree you've planted reach its full glory. These 13 fastest-growing species experience rapid growth that provides you with a beautiful landscape or indoor greenery without the wait. Whether you're looking for a Black Bamboo Tree to fit your indoor minimalist aesthetic or a stately evergreen tree to add privacy to your yard, there's a fast-growing tree for every need.

Fast Growing Trees specializes in providing vibrant young trees to homeowners around the country. Learn more about the fastest growing trees, privacy trees, shade trees, flowering trees, and which trees are suited for your zone!

Blair Brown

Blair is the Content Marketing Manager at FastGrowingTrees.com, and though she's not your traditional gardener, the planting world is definitely growing on her (pun intended!). She's enjoyed digging into plant care and maintenance and growing her plant collection, especially with exotic indoor varieties.

Best fast-growing trees: 10 trees to bring superfast impact

(Image credit: Garfotos/Alamy Stock Photo)

Gardening Etc Newsletter

The Home Of Outdoor Living

Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly.

There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Looking for fast-growing trees to fill your empty yard quickly? Need a tree that will take off like a rocket? Want to make your garden seem mature in no time at all? Does your yard need something with real presence – like, yesterday? The good news is there are plenty of options to solve your tree dilemmas. 

There are evergreen trees that are galloping into growth almost as soon as you have planted them, and there are deciduous trees whose youthful maturity comes in almost an instant. 

But here’s the thing. These express evergreens and deciduous foliage flyers will not stop growing just because you ask them nicely. They will keep getting taller and taller, way beyond the 10 years for which I have given the height in the below selections. So it is vital to choose the right tree and plant it in the right place – right tree, right place.

A fast-growing tree in the wrong place too often means a tree that you’re tempted to prune from the top of a wobbling stepladder. Think about it: just as your tree is getting too tall for the space you gave it, it is becoming too tall to prune without hiring an expert. And, anyway, pruning may ruin its shape.

So I repeat my mantra: right tree, right place. Certainly, plant one of these fast-growing trees, but always plant the right one in the right situation.

Create instant impact with these 10 fast-growing trees

Choosing fast-growing trees is about more than planting a racer that will grow 3ft, 4ft or 5ft a year. Consider its shape as well as its height. Think about how much shade it will cast, on your neighbors’ gardens as well as your own. Even if you choose one of the best backyard trees, will its roots suck moisture from your flower garden? Will its roots get into your foundations or block up your drains? Where are the overhead utility lines? And remember, trees grow faster in favorable climates.

With all that in mind, we've rounded up some of the best options so you can find the right fast-growing tree to suit your location and size of plot.

1. Red Maple (Acer Rubrum)

(Image credit: Martin Hibberd/Alamy Stock Photo)

This familiar American native develops into an impressive specimen, eventually broadening its canopy. With foliage like that on the Canadian flag, it's a wonderful example of a tree with red leaves as the foliage turns dazzling scarlet in fall. The leaves can be slow to rot down and are best seen set against the sky.

It produces the best leaf color and best growth in neutral or acid soil types and is also happy in wet conditions. It's shallow-rooted, so tolerant and drought-resistant underplanting may be needed when choosing your landscaping around trees for this variety.

2. River Birch (Betula Nigra)

(Image credit: Botanic World/Alamy Stock Photo)

An attractive native tree developing colorful reddish brown bark with pinkish tinges that darkens with age. Use it as a tree for front yards and it will give you plenty of curb appeal. There are yellow catkins in spring, and diamond-shaped leaves that turn buttery in the fall. Look for the variety Heritage (‘Cully’), with additional creamy tints to its bark.

This is one of the best fast-growing trees for wet ground, but it will also tolerate drier, but not parched, conditions. It's not suitable for limey soil types.

3. Leyland Cypress (Xcuprocyparis Leylandii)

(Image credit: Zoonar GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo)

If you're looking for one of the best trees for privacy to help screen your plot, this is a very fast-growing hybrid evergreen, making a dense column of flat, rather fern-like green, sometimes slightly grayish, sprays. Developing into a stately specimen, and good where a tall garden screening is needed, it can grow 3ft (90cm) a year even on poor soil. ‘Castlewellan’ has golden yellow sprays.

This tree tolerates most soils and situations, but cannot be restricted in size except by regular clipping as older branches fail to regrow when pruned. 

4. Cider gum (Eucalyptus Gunnii)

(Image credit: Garfotos/Alamy Stock Photo)

The striking, silver-grey, rounded foliage of young trees gives way to sage-green, sickle-shaped leaves as the trees mature. Develops a distinctive, slightly irregular, shape as it matures and also features attractive greyish green bark that peels prettily.

One of the hardiest of all eucalyptus, and happiest in limy conditions. Grows away best after planting when started as a small plant and very drought tolerant when established.

5. Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron Tulipifera)

(Image credit: Garfotos/Alamy Stock Photo)

Native to Eastern states, this very vigorous tree can reach 50ft (15m) in 15 years, partly because it grows well right through the summer. The unusual, four-pointed leaves turn buttery in fall after the yellow and orange tulip-shaped summer flowers. ‘Fastigiatum’ is as tall, but narrower in shape.

Happy in most good soils, unlike many trees it loses its lower branches so casts less shade than expected by letting in light from the side.

6. American Sycamore (Platanus Occidentalis) 

(Image credit: Daniel Dempster Photography/Alamy Stock Photo)

Makes an elegant, very striking, broad-headed tree whose bold, grey and white and even orange patterned bark will stand out in your landscaping ideas and with white-tipped shoots that shine against a blue sky. Has maple-like leaves and cherry-sized brown fruits. May mature at 120ft (35m) and spread as wide.

This tree will thrives from Canada to Florida, and from New York to Texas and is happy in most soils, including wet conditions.

7. Hybrid or Caroline Poplar (Populus X Canadensis)

(Image credit: Martyn Williams/Alamy Stock Photo)

A rather variable hybrid, but very quickly developing into a specimen with a tall straight trunk and oval or narrow crown with silvery leaves.

Happy in most soils and situations, and good for stabilizing a sloping garden. More disease resistant than other poplars. Look for 'cottonless cottonwood', without the woolly fluff that many cottonwoods produce with their seeds. ‘Robusta’ is broader in growth, ‘Serotina’ has attractive catkins.

8. Weeping Willow (Salix Babylonica)

(Image credit: Dawn Evans/Alamy Stock Photo)

Develops attractive weeping growth and looks less distinctive, but more natural, than the English weeping willow with its dramatically trailing yellow branches that sweep the ground. It has brown shoots and slender green leaves that are bluish beneath and gold in the fall. Grows at an impressive rate but is not long-lived.

It can be a low maintenance tree as it's happy in any situation that is not dry, and good by water. It is also disease resistant.

9. Swamp Cypress (Taxodium Distichum)

(Image credit: Blickwinkel/Alamy Stock Photo)

This Florida native is a classic Everglades tree that is surprisingly hardy farther north. One of the few deciduous conifers, its fibrous, reddish-brown trunk develops striking buttresses, the finely toothed foliage turning an attractive russet, orange or yellow in fall.

Insists on damp or wet soil, where it makes an impressive specimen. When growing in or near standing water, such as in a bog garden, it produces short vertical growths, known as 'knees', from its roots so care is needed when mowing.

10. 'Green Giant' Arborvitae (Thuja 'Green Giant')

(Image credit: Peter Lane/Alamy Stock Photo)

This narrowly conical, rich green evergreen has foliage that becomes slightly bronzed in winter. It makes a slender, but not unnatural looking, plant and looks good both as a specimen or also as a tall boundary screen or plant for fence lines.

Easy-to-grow and very adaptable, drought and wind tolerant when established and pest and disease resistant. Especially useful in northern zones as the branches can support a surprising weight of ice or snow without collapsing. 

Which are the fastest native trees for my yard?

In the south-west of the US, try evergreen drought tolerant Arizona Cypress (Cupressus arizonica), with its bluish foliage. In Florida and the south east of the US go for the elegant deciduous Swamp Cypress (Taxodium distichum) or the evergreen Southern Magnolia tree (Magnolia grandiflora).

In colder zones of the US, consider Red Maple (Acer rubrum) or Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), with their scarlet fall leaf color, the moisture-loving River Birch (Betula nigra) and the majestic Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). For an evergreen fast-growing tree, think about White pine (Pinus strobus).

(Image credit: Susan K/Getty Images)

Do I need to fertilize and irrigate my tree to make sure it grows fast?

Fast-growing trees are naturally fast and will grow quickly as long as they have the conditions they enjoy. For example, moisture-loving trees will not grow well in dry places but will race away in damp conditions. But it pays not to rely on them being quick and skip proper preparation.

So prepare the planting site thoroughly, amend with garden compost or soil conditioner, ensure that your new tree is well supported and water in well after planting. Finally, mulching with bark is advised.

It pays to irrigate in dry spells during the first year or two, until your tree is well established, and you can fertilize with Holly-tone as growth starts in spring but this is not usually necessary.

(Image credit: Ronstik/Alamy Stock Photo)

When will my tree slow down its growth? 

This is the other side of planting fast-growing trees. It will make an impressive specimen quickly, but once it has reached a good size it will keep growing and growing. This is why the 'right tree, right place' rule is so important. 

It is true, probably fortunately, that fast-growing trees tend to grow a little slower as they mature. It is as if the same amount of growth is spread across more shoots. So while a Leyland Cypress may grow 3-4ft (90cm-1.2m) in its youth, it will slow down to half that rate in its later years. Having said that, the tallest Leyland cypress in the world measured 130ft (40m) in 2015 – and is still growing.

Graham Rice is a garden writer who has won awards for his work online, and in books and magazines, on both sides of the Atlantic. He is a member of a number of Royal Horticultural Society committees and the recipient of the 2021 Garden Media Guild Lifetime Achievement Award. 

what to choose for the garden – Plod

Drinking tea, listening to the silence and the sounds of singing birds, in the shade of the spreading crown of a tree grown by one's own hands is a dream that seems unattainable to hundreds of people, because it can take decades to grow one tree. In fact, such an idea is quite feasible, because in a matter of years some tree crops will turn the uneven and bare terrain of the acquired land into a park area where you can place a bench and drink the same tea.

Moreover, fast-growing trees are very unpretentious and can withstand any growing conditions. Among them are fruit and ornamental. What are these cultures?

Trees that grow quickly and do not require maintenance are birches. Perhaps the first place in any rating of fast-growing trees should be occupied by a beauty with green braids, because the average growth of a birch in height in one year can be 1-2 meters. At the same time, it should be understood that birch has long been not only a tree from a golden field, but a huge family of plants, among which you can find a wide variety of crowns, leaf shapes and heights.


Another important fact is that birch is a very unpretentious tree form that loves light and does not tolerate soil compaction, i. e. you should avoid planting it next to asphalt paths, it is resistant to cold weather and diseases.
Interesting: designers recommend planting birches next to conifers, thus creating a luxurious backdrop of mixed groups of trees on the site.

Willow

The fastest growing tree is the willow. Willow, Rakita, Goat Willow - all these varieties of tree forms have long proven themselves among landscape designers. Willow is a fast-growing group of trees, the growth of which at a young age can reach up to 1 meter per year. At the same time, these are durable trees, extremely resistant to frost, diseases and smoke, as well as having a high ability to regenerate.

One has only to remember that all willows do not tolerate stagnant water, and it is better to plant them in sunny places with slightly alkaline soil.

Important - gardeners should take into account that willows are excellent honey plants, so the fragrance that appears with golden earrings on trees in the spring attracts a huge number of pollinating insects.

Maple

The Tatar maple is gaining more and more popularity among gardeners and summer residents - a low deciduous tree form, famous for its fiery red autumn foliage. These are the fastest growing trees in Ukraine. This is a very unpretentious plant, from which medium (up to 10 meters) hedges are obtained, which, however, do not like moisture very much and are exposed to diseases in water areas.

You can also pay attention to the holly maple, which in the spring will delight the eye with all shades of green, yellow, purple and fiery red. At the same time, the sharp-leaved maple is considered a shade-tolerant and frost-resistant plant, which is why, today, it is very common in Europe. The annual growth of the sharp-leaved maple in height, under the creation of favorable conditions, can be up to 80 cm.


Black locust

A beauty that has long been loved by landscape designers, as well as owners of green farms and the woodworking industry. White acacia is a shrubby, deciduous, honey-bearing form that grows like a tree in natural conditions. It is famous for its spreading and openwork crown, as well as incredibly beautiful flowering. An unpretentious, fast-growing shrub that can grow up to one and a half meters in a year. Acacia does not need careful care, so it is suitable for those people who cannot pay much attention to the garden. Ornamental varieties of acacia have fragrant, honey-bearing flowers that attract bees to the site. And, it is very useful for fruit trees and berry bushes. The result - the tree is completely unpretentious, is resistant to frost, drought and soil salinization.

Fast growing shrubs

Snowberry

The snowberry has thin, flexible gray-brown shoots and a dense crown. This shrub is not only fast growing, but also very beautiful at any time of the year. In spring, it is covered with dense foliage and delicate, white-pink flowers. Then the flowers turn into large, white or pink berries with a waxy coating, similar to precious pearls. In autumn, the leaves fall off, and the berries stay on the bushes until frost, until they are eaten by birds.


Common privet

Tall, tree-like shrub, growing 1.5-2 meters per year. The plant is unpretentious, does not require formation and constant care. The foliage of privet is dense and dark green. And black berries collected in brushes give decorativeness. The shrub gives a good, dense shade, and the fruits will become a delicacy for bullfinches and waxwings, which will arrive with the onset of winter.

Lilac

No garden is complete without this beauty. Lilac is unusually decorative. Her fragrant flowers, collected in a brush, will be beautiful not only on the branches, but also in the cut. With good care, lilacs can easily add one and a half meters in height per year.


Hazel

Many gardeners have undeservedly forgotten about this plant. Ah, in vain! With good care and regular watering, hazel grows quickly. Its carved foliage provides good shade. And in the fall, real nuts ripen on the hazel, which can be harvested and harvested. In the thickets of hazel, birds are very fond of making nests. Therefore, in the spring you can enjoy singing and chirping.

Honeysuckle

Gray branches and foliage with a bluish bloom look very unusual. Honeysuckle adds about one and a half meters per year. The shade from it is not very thick, but in spring the bushes are strewn with delicate, fragrant flowers, and in summer useful berries ripen on them. Honeysuckle is very loved by gardeners and is widespread in almost all regions.

Kalina

Fast growing shrub with green, carved foliage. In summer, the viburnum is covered with snow-white, large crowns of flowers. And, in autumn, healing, glossy red berries hang on the bushes, which can be harvested for the winter. Kalina grows well even in the absence of care.

What fast-growing trees will help close the neighbor's house? Description of varieties and photos - Botanichka

Having moved to a country house with a garden, we, like many people, strove for peace and solitude in nature. But everything turned out like a bad joke. Soon the neighboring plot was bought out, and the new neighbors erected a three-story house with windows overlooking our garden. But I did not despair. In this article I will tell you what trees I acquired in order to hide the neighbor's house from our eyes as soon as possible, or rather, to close our garden from prying eyes.

What fast-growing trees will help close the neighbor's house?

By what criteria did I choose the trees?

When it is necessary to decorate neighboring buildings as quickly as possible, the main quality of the selected trees is their high growth rate. But it is important to take into account other characteristics of the plant. Here are the criteria by which I chose the trees:

  1. This should not be a breed of the first or second order. That is, a 20-40-meter tree on the site will certainly cope with the function of a screen from a neighbor's house, but at the same time, there will be nothing in my garden except shady flower beds. And this is not quite what I dreamed of.
  2. The tree must be unproblematic. From time to time, any crop can be affected by diseases and pests, but if the breed is famous for its propensity for any disease, for example, like Weymouth pine, suffering from rust, then this option will not suit me. Also, the breed should not actively grow or be "garbage", such as black locust (locust) or American maple.
  3. The plant must fit into the design of the garden, have an appropriate character, color and not stand out from the general mood of my site.
  4. The crown should have a predominantly columnar shape, that is, not be too wide so as not to "steal" a significant part of the territory of my garden, but grow mostly vertically, like a living tall fence.
  5. It is desirable that the breed be consistently decorative and have an attractive appearance for most of the year. It is also nice if the tree is evergreen, so that I can calmly walk around the garden “without prying eyes” in winter.

So, what breeds did I consider for the role of a screen from a neighbor's house and what did I end up with?

Deltoid poplar "Purple Tower"

Sapling deltoid poplar "Purple Tower" ( Purple Tower ) I first saw in the nursery, and he literally sunk into my soul. The plant had huge burgundy-red glossy leaves and a very stately appearance. However, I was in no hurry to plant this plant in my garden due to the fact that it is still a poplar, and it grows quite large. As an adult it is described as 10-15 m tall.

Delta poplar (Populus deltoides), cultivar 'Purple Tower'. © Janusz Radecki

It grows like all poplars, it is literally before our eyes (an increase of 50 cm per year), you can cut it, but you will have to do it quite often. And now, in connection with the appearance of a tall neighbor's house, I again remembered this variety and seriously thought about it. However, I still didn't buy it.

The main reason is poplar's windfall (just recently a hurricane raged not far from us, and poplars were literally broken in half, while other trees survived). Another problem is poplar's superficial root system, and I didn't really want its roots to climb into my flower beds and lawn. And the third reason - after all, poplar looks too formal and is subconsciously perceived as a marker of urban landscaping.

Willow

Willow ( Salix ) is another fast growing tree that can be quite acceptable in wet areas. At present, there is a great variety of decorative types of willows (in Moscow you can even find a nursery specializing in interesting types and varieties of willows). They look very attractive and will not grow into gigantic trees. But in our new garden, the soil is still very dry, and the willow, I think, would not be too comfortable with such conditions. I don't plan to water much in my garden.

Willow (Salix)

In addition, willow tends to have a wide crown and will take up too much space. Another problem is that willow is famous as a plant that attracts a huge number of insects, including pests. There is even a saying that a good gardener will never plant a willow in his garden. Also, these trees do not really correspond to the general style of my site and are often short-lived, they can suffer from strong winds.

Read also our article Iva Matsudana - an openwork beauty for your garden.

Apricot

Apricot ( Prunus armeniaca ) is one of the fastest growing fruit trees, whose growth rate is simply amazing. When we bought the plot, two apricot seedlings were growing on them, reaching a height of about 1.5 m. By the end of the season, these were already trees of almost three meters in height, and we took the first crop from them. That is, in one summer, apricots of the varieties "Orlovchanin" and "Kompotny" gave an increase of 1-1.5 m and significantly overtook the cherries, apples and pears growing nearby.

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca). © CowboysMomma

Therefore, if your conditions allow you to grow an apricot, and you need a fast-growing tree, then you can opt for it. Apricot not only gives delicious fruits, but is also certainly beautiful (one of the first to bloom profusely in spring, decorates the garden with bright foliage in autumn). But since I already have two apricots in my garden, I decided not to increase their number, fearing not to cope with the harvest. Yes, and as planned, that part of the garden where the neighbor's house appeared should be decorative, not fruit.

Rumelian pine

A few years ago at an exhibition-fair I bought a seedling of an unusual Rumelian pine ( Pinus peuce ), seduced by a very low price, and planted it in my dacha. As it turned out later, the low cost of this tree is due to the fact that it is a species, not a varietal specimen, and the seedlings of the breed grow incredibly fast. Now, looking at my pine tree, I just can't believe my eyes.

Rumelian pine (Pinus peuce). © stringfixer.com

Even "yesterday" it was a "blade" 20 cm high, and today it is already a two-meter tree, and it has become so in three years. This year it even got its first bump. I have not seen such long growths in any of my coniferous pets. Therefore, if you think that all conifers grow slowly, then the Rumelian pine will cross out these ideas.

The appearance of this pine cannot leave you indifferent, it has very thin bluish needles, pleasant to the touch and not prickly at all (I really like to stroke it). The cones are long and slender, the trunk is smooth, and the crown is like that of Scots pine. Outwardly, it is very similar to the Weymouth pine, but it is not at all affected by rust.

I would definitely plant a similar pine tree on a new site to close the neighbor's house, if not for one "but". It is a species, not a variety, and its height can be unpredictable. In particular, in the encyclopedia it is described as a tree 10-20 m high. And this, you see, is too wide a spread. And 20 meters for 10 acres, especially on the south side, is still too much.

Flexible pine "VanderWulf Pyramid"

Having studied the entire range of nurseries in our city, I came to the conclusion that 9 fully meets my requirements0094 Pinus flexilis ‘Vanderwolf’s Pyramid’ ( Pinus flexilis ‘Vanderwolf’s Pyramid’ ). First, it is one of the fastest growing. Its growth can be about a meter per year, and after 5 years the height of the seedlings will be about 4 m, which will practically close the neighboring windows. At the same time, this tree has a rather narrow crown, up to 3 m in diameter, and if over time it raises its crown, then it will not take up much space on the site.

Flexible pine (Pinus flexilis), Vanderwolf's Pyramid cultivar. © plantmaster

In addition, this variety is completely winter-hardy (up to -34 degrees) in our area, does not burn or freeze slightly, is rarely affected by diseases and pests. And, finally, it is an extremely beautiful tree with bluish, soft-touch needles and a regular pyramidal crown.

I am also pleased that this is an evergreen tree, that is, it will perform its masking function all year round. And, of course, pine is a long-liver, and in a good scenario, it can remind descendants of me for 300 years or more. The final height of the tree will have to be 10-13 m. This is a lot, but quite tolerable compared to 20-40-meter species pines.

Read also our article Spectacular pines on the site - planting, formation, types and varieties.

Bird cherry 'Shubert'

Bird cherry 'Shubert' ( Prunus virginiana ‘Shubert’ ) is another good variant of a fast growing, relatively low tree, but this species has some reservations. I liked this bird cherry for a very long time, and it's really hard not to fall in love with it. Bird cherry "Schubert" has dense large leaf blades up to 13 cm long. It blooms very beautifully in spring with clusters of white flowers, exuding the same bird cherry aroma, and large black berries appear to replace the flowers. They are larger and sweeter than those of the "wild" bird cherry and, as they say, do not knit at all in the mouth.

Red-leaved bird cherry (Prunus virginiana), variety "Shubert" (Shubert). © Todd_Boland

In the spring, the leaves of the Schubert bird cherry are green, but around the end of June they gradually begin to turn burgundy, and the tree is so elegant almost all summer, the autumn color is orange-red.

Bird cherry is a record holder in terms of growth rate and can produce growths of about 1 m per year or more. The height of an adult tree is 6-10 m. The crown is narrow – up to 2-3 m. It would seem that not plants, but a dream. But not everything is so smooth. Unfortunately, the main scourge of this plant is fungal diseases, in particular, clasterosporiasis (holes in leaf blades) and powdery mildew.

In search of the truth, I studied many reviews of gardeners who grow red-leaved bird cherry, and concluded for myself that the plant has much more advantages, and diseases can be successfully fought. Moreover, usually they only slightly spoil the view, but do not completely destroy the tree. In addition, I often met red-leaved bird cherry in front gardens, and it looked great, and did not at all give the impression of a diseased tree.

What did I choose?

So, what kind of plants did I end up buying to cover my neighbor's house? As you might have guessed, they turned out to be two seedlings of the VanderWulf Pyramid pine.

Learn more