15 Best Fast-Growing Trees

By
Sienna Heath
Sienna Mae Heath is a garden writer based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Sienna Heath

Sienna Mae Heath is a gardening expert with over five years of experience in gardening and landscape design. She grows her own food and flowers in her native Zone 6B. Sienna Mae runs The Quarantined Gardener blog and encourages the Lehigh Valley to develop victory gardens for sustainable, garden-based living. Her work has been featured in The Weeder's Digest, Gardening Know How, GrowIt, and more.

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Updated on 05/18/23
Reviewed by
Barbara Gillette
Barbara Gillette
Reviewed by Barbara Gillette
Barbara Gillette is a Master Gardener, herbalist, beekeeper, and journalist. She has 30 years of experience propagating and growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, and ornamentals.
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Fact checked by
Emily Estep
Emily Estep
Fact checked by Emily Estep

Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics including environmental science and houseplants.

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Weeping willow tree with drooping branches next to pathway along water

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Some trees can take decades to mature, whereas fast-growing trees can gain considerable height each year, between one and eight feet depending on the species. If you want shade or privacy for your landscape quickly, a fast-growing tree might be the right choice for you. Plus, such a tree will add considerable ornamental value to the landscape soon after you plant it.

A potential issue with fast-growing trees is that they may not be as strong as other trees that grow slowly, and their limbs might be prone to breaking. For that reason, chose a planting site away from where limbs could drop onto structures. In addition, their growth rate can mean more extensive pruning if you want to keep their size and shape in check.

Here are 15 fast-growing trees for different climate zones.

  • 01 of 15

    Japanese Flowering Cherry

    Japanese flowering cherry tree branches with pink blossom clusters with yellow leaves

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Japanese flowering cherry trees gain about one foot per year. The showy white to pink flowers bloom in the spring, giving way to small blackish fruits in the summertime. Note that like all cherry trees, it is toxic to pets. Also, the tree is susceptible to several pest and disease issues, including powdery mildew and aphids, so it’s important to closely monitor your tree and treat it appropriately at the first sign of a problem.

    • Name: Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
    • Light: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 15–25 ft. tall and wide
    • Flowering: Pinkish-red; spring
    • Foliage: Deciduous; orange-bronze fall color
  • 02 of 15

    Japanese Angelica Tree

    Japanese angelica tree branches with yellow flower panicles and bipinnate leaves

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Japanese angelica can appear more like a large shrub than a tree with an irregular shape. In the summer, it bears clusters of cream-colored blossom. The seeds can quickly spread throughout the landscape, which makes this tree an invasive species that threatens native plant communities. If you decide to plant it in your landscape, be sure to remove the saplings promptly to prevent unwanted growth.

    • Name: Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
    • Light: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 12-40 ft. tall, 6-30 ft. wide
    • Flowering: White; summer
    • Foliage: Deciduous; red or yellow fall color
  • 03 of 15

    Weeping Willow

    Weeping willow tree with drooping vines of yellow leaves and twisted trunk near pond

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Weeping willows are fast-growing trees, gaining more than two feet per year. This is a tree that needs a lot of space, not just because of its height and spread but also because its shallow roots clog sewers and drains. The tree’s branches gracefully arch downward but unfortunately, the wood of weeping willows is notoriously weak, so this is not a tree to have hanging over structures. Pruning should occur in the late winter or early spring.

    • Name: Weeping willow (Salix babylonica)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-8
    • Light: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, moist, slightly acidic, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 35–50 ft. tall, 5–50 ft. wide
    • Flowering: Catkins; spring
    • Foliage: Deciduous
  • 04 of 15

    Honey Locust

    Honey locust tree branch with yellow leaves against blue sky

    The Spruce / David Beaulieu

    Honey locust trees have a rapid growth rate, gaining more than two feet per year. And they require ample space in the landscape. These trees, which are native to North America, are tolerant of various soil types, as well as heat, drought, and wind. The species has a lot of thorns so you might be better off planting a the thornless cultivar 'Suncole', also known as Sunburst honey locust, which only grows 30 to 40 feet tall and wide.

    • Name: Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 60-80 ft. tall and wide
    • Flowering: Green, yellow; spring, summer
    • Foliage: Deciduous; yellow fall color
    Continue to 5 of 15 below.
  • 05 of 15

    Koa

    acacia koa tree

    Scot Nelson / Flickr

    Koa is a fast-growing, evergreen Acacia tree species from the Hawaiian Islands. During the first five years, the tree can grow up to five feet per year and in its natural habitat, it can grow up to 100 feet tall. Instead of leaves, the trees have stiff green phyllodes, which are modified leaf stems. Koa trees are fairly low-maintenance. Make sure the soil stays evenly moist but not soggy, especially for young trees.

    • Name: Koa (Acacia koa)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Acidic, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 50-80 ft. tall, 20-40 ft. wide
    • Flowering: Pale yellow; year-round or seasonal
    • Foliage: Evergreen
  • 06 of 15

    Royal Poinciana

    Royal poinciana tree with bright red flower clusters on extending branches

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    With a growth rate of up to five feet per year, royal poinciana is a very fast-growing tree. This evergreen tree is popular in tropical and subtropical regions, especially for its vivid, red-orange, five-petal flowers that show up in the summertime. It provides excellent shade. However, its robust root system can end up cracking pavement if they don’t have enough space. Also, the branches are rather brittle, so it’s important to prune them back in the spring to encourage stronger growth.

    • Name: Royal poinciana (Delonix regia)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-12
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Loamy, sandy, clay, medium moisture, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 30–40 ft. tall, 40-70 ft. wide
    • Flowering: Red, orange; summer
    • Foliage: Evergreen
  • 07 of 15

    Leyland Cypress

    Leyland cypress tree with dense pyramidal branches in sunlight

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    This fast-growing tree gains up to three feet per year and works well for hedges, screens, and windbreaks. The bark is a reddish-brown color and the needles are gray-green on branches that point upward. This is an evergreen that you can plant in a wide variety of soils, even if the soil is not rich. It’s a hardy and low-maintenance tree that is rarely bothered by pests and diseases. However, be sure not to overwater it or plant it in poorly draining soil, as this can cause root rot. The tree can be pruned to control its height.

    • Name: Leyland cypress (Cuprocyparis leylandii)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-10
    • Light: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 60–70 ft tall, 10-15 ft. wide
    • Flowering: Inconspicuous
    • Foliage: Evergreen
  • 08 of 15

    Pin Oak

    Pin oak tree branches with bright orange leaves against blue sky

    Simon McGill / Getty Images

    The pin oak has a pyramidal shape when the tree is young. As the tree ages, the shape becomes more rounded and oval but its shape remains more slender than other oaks. It has shiny dark green leaves and gray-brown bark that develops ridges as it matures. It’s a popular landscape tree due to its fast growth rate of about two feet per year, as well as its medium size. Plus, it tolerates a variety of growing conditions, as long as the soil is acidic. Alkaline soil can cause yellowing of the leaves. Like all native oaks, it has a high wildlife value.

    • Name: Pin oak (Quercus palustris)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Loamy, moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 50-70 ft. tall, 40-60 ft. wide
    • Flowering: Inconspicuous
    • Foliage: Deciduous
    Continue to 9 of 15 below.
  • 09 of 15

    Green Giant Arborvitae

    Green giant arborvitae tree top in a pyramidal shape against blue sky

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    This hybrid between the western red cedar and Japanese arborvitae is a very popular evergreen conifer for good reasons. It grows fast, gaining up to four feet per year. It has a columnar-pyramidal shape, is low-branching, and dense so it works well as a privacy hedge. It is fairly resistant to diseases, drought, and deer.

    • Name: Green Giant arborvitae (Thuja 'Green Giant')
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
    • Light: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 40-60 ft. tall, 12-18 ft. wide
    • Flowering: Inconspicuous
    • Foliage: Evergreen
  • 10 of 15

    River Birch

    River birch tree with salmon-red peeling bark surrounded by bright green leaves

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    The river birch is a fast-growing tree that adds on 30 inches in height every year. It is native to floodplains and other wet areas in the United States. It can handle heavy clay soil, poor drainage, and even semi-aquatic conditions, but it also can tolerate drier soil. Unlike other fast-growing trees, its branches are fairly break-resistant. Because the branches are drooping, they may require pruning for a walkway or driveway clearance.

    • Name: River birch (Betula nigra)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
    • Light: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, acidic, moist
    • Mature Size: 40–70 ft. tall, 40–60 ft. wide
    • Flowering: Catkins; spring
    • Foliage: Deciduous
  • 11 of 15

    Freeman Maple

    Freeman maple tree red leaf in front of yellow leaves closeup

    Brian North / Getty Images

    Freeman maples are a hybrid of red and silver maples. They combine the shape and red autumn color of the red maple with the fast growth and tolerance to adverse climate and soil conditions of the silver maple. These are solid and attractive trees. Depending on the location they can grow two to three feet per year. Freeman maples can be grown in heavy soil but they don't like a high pH. Mature trees have some drought tolerance.

    • Name: Freeman maple (Acer x freemanii 'Autumn Blaze')
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
    • Light: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Moist, acidic, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 40-55 ft. tall, 30-40 ft. wide
    • Flowering: Inconspicuous
    • Foliage: Deciduous; orange-red fall color
  • 12 of 15

    Tulip tree

    Tulip tree with wide-spreading branches and yellow-green leaves against blue sky

    Katja Schulz / Getty Images

    The tulip tree, also known as the yellow poplar, is one of the largest native trees of eastern North America. When it's in bloom, it is a show-stopper. Not only does it grow fast—three to five feet per year—to reach a towering height of up to 120 feet tree with a broad pyramidal shape, its trunk is also massive, reaching roughly six feet in diameter. The drawback of these trees are their weak branches and shallow roots. Ideally, they should be planted somewhere that’s sheltered from strong winds.

    • Name: Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Loamy, moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 70–120 ft. tall, 30–60 ft. wide
    • Flowering: Yellow; spring
    • Foliage: Deciduous; green, yellow, or gold fall color
    Continue to 13 of 15 below.
  • 13 of 15

    Silver Maple

    Silver maple tree trunk and spreading branches with bright green leaves from below

    asmithers / Getty Images

    The silver maple gets its common name because its leaves are a silver hue on their undersides. This large, fast-growing tree has a broad, rounded shape. It prefers moist soil but will tolerate poor, dry soils as well. Its weak wood is known to break in ice and strong winds, so it should be planted away from structures. Also keep in mind that the massive, ascending limbs and the dense root system of the tree make it difficult to plant shade perennials and groundcovers underneath the tree.

    • Name: Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
    • Light: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium to wet, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 50-100 ft. tall. 35–50 wide
    • Flowering: Inconspicuous
    • Foliage: Deciduous
  • 14 of 15

    Red Maple

    Red maple tree with bright orange-yellow leaves

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood

    Native to eastern and central North America, red maples are fast-growing trees with a rounded or oval shape. They can grow more than three feet per year. They’re also very tolerant of cold weather. However, they do have shallow roots that can push up pavement so they should be planted where they have some space to grow. 

    • Name: Red maple (Acer rubrum)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
    • Light: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium to wet, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 40-70 ft. tall, 30-50 ft. wide
    • Flowering: Inconspicuous
    • Foliage: Deciduous, red fall color
  • 15 of 15

    Quaking Aspen

    Quaking aspen tree with white bark and yellow leaves

    Scott T. Smith / Getty Images

    The American aspen is also called quaking aspen or trembling aspen because the dark green leaves tremble in the wind. It grows up to two feet per year. It is one of the hardiest trees you can plant anywhere in North America (it is even native to Alaska). With its trademark white bark, oval shape, and golden fall foliage, it is a lovely tree but it can be difficult to contain. Aspen roots send out numerous suckers that you might find in all corners of your yard. They can be cut or mowed over but it's an ongoing task.

    • Name: Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 1-6
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 20-50 ft tall, 20-30 ft. wide
    • Flowering: Inconspicuous
    • Foliage: Deciduous; golden fall foliage

Learn More

As an alternative to fast-growing trees, shrubs and evergreens are another great way to create privacy. And they are often better suited for small yards.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Cherry. ASPCA.

  2. Japanese Angelica Tree. Invasive Plant Atlas.