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Top 10 Fastest Growing Trees for Your Yard

Posted on by Shopcenterus
Top 10 Fastest Growing Trees for Your Yard
08
Jan

By Birds & Blooms Editors

Updated on Mar. 13, 2024

Looking to quickly transform your landscape? These fast-growing trees offer stunning aesthetics and rapid results.

Choosing the Right Fast-Growing Tree

While the allure of a quickly matured landscape is strong, it’s crucial to choose wisely. Some fast-growing trees can have weaker wood and shorter lifespans. This guide highlights resilient, fast-growing options that provide long-lasting beauty without compromising strength. Consider avoiding these trees known for potential problems.

sunlight through tree sunny daysunlight through tree sunny day

1. Zelkova Tree (Zelkova serrate)

USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
Mature Size: 50 to 60 feet

With its vase-shaped silhouette reminiscent of an elm, the Zelkova boasts smooth gray bark and vibrant red to purple fall foliage. Adaptable and resilient, it tolerates wind, drought, and generally resists Dutch elm disease.

Zelkova tree birds and bloomsZelkova tree birds and blooms

2. Sweet Bay Magnolia (Magnolia Virginiana)

USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Mature Size: 10 to 20 feet (North), up to 60 feet (South)

This fragrant beauty offers lemon-scented flowers, dark green leaves with silvery undersides, and evergreen foliage in southern climates. It thrives in patio settings and tolerates shade and wet conditions better than other magnolias. Learn more about planting and caring for magnolias.

Sweet Bay Magnolia tree flowerSweet Bay Magnolia tree flower

3. Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)

USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Mature Size: 50 to 80 feet

The Eastern White Pine transitions from a youthful pyramidal shape to a picturesque form with age. Versatile enough for hedges or specimen plantings, it thrives in sheltered locations away from high winds, pollution, and salt. Numerous cultivars offer diverse forms for various landscaping needs.

4. Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 9
Mature Size: 15 to 25 feet

A Southern favorite, the Crape Myrtle showcases exfoliating bark in shades of brown and gray, providing year-round visual interest. Prolific blooms in white, pink, purple, or deep red, coupled with stunning fall color, ensure seasonal beauty. Explore other stunning trees for spring planting.

5. Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Mature Size: 40 to 60 feet

The Red Maple boasts red flower buds, blooms in early spring, and vibrant red fall foliage. Cultivars like ‘Red Sunset’ and ‘Northwoods’ offer reliable color and strong branching. While preferring acidic soil, the hybrid Freeman Maple tolerates alkaline conditions. Ensure successful planting with these tree planting tips.

6. Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Mature Size: 60 to 70 feet

This fast-growing oak maintains a pyramidal shape with fine branches, providing year-round structure. Glossy green leaves transform into russet, bronze, or red in fall. While adaptable, it requires acidic soil and attracts wildlife like butterflies, hummingbirds, and squirrels.

pin oak tree birds and bloomspin oak tree birds and blooms

7. River Birch (Betula nigra)

USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Mature Size: 40 to 70 feet

The River Birch features exfoliating bark revealing white, salmon, and brown hues. Tolerant of wet and dry conditions and resistant to bronze birch borer, it thrives in slightly acidic soil. Cultivars like ‘Dura Heat’ and ‘Heritage’ offer enhanced heat tolerance and whiter bark. Learn how to grow a thriving River Birch.

river birch tree birds and bloomsriver birch tree birds and blooms

8. Larch (Larix decidua)

USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 4
Mature Size: 50 feet or more

This unique conifer displays dazzling yellow-gold needles in fall before shedding them, only to regrow fresh needles in spring. Suitable for solitary or group plantings, European and Japanese Larch varieties cater to different growing conditions. Enhance your trees with these landscaping tips.

larch tree birds and bloomslarch tree birds and blooms

9. Japanese Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum)

USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7
Mature Size: Up to 50 feet

Also known as the Scholar Tree, this tree features bright green foliage and summer blooms. Creamy white, fragrant flowers add beauty in mid-to-late summer, followed by ornamental pods. Best grown in mulch beds or mixed borders to conceal dropped petals and pods.

Japanese Pagoda Tree birds and bloomsJapanese Pagoda Tree birds and blooms

10. Korean Mountain Ash (Sorbus alnifolia)

USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7
Mature Size: 40 to 50 feet

The Korean Mountain Ash displays beautiful white flowers in spring, transitioning to pinkish-red to scarlet fruit in fall, complementing the yellow-orange foliage. It thrives in moist, well-drained soil and is more pest-resistant than other mountain ash varieties. Be mindful of trees that can negatively impact plumbing.

Korean Mountain Ash tree birds and bloomsKorean Mountain Ash tree birds and blooms

More Fast-Growing Tree Options:

Expand your choices with these additional fast-growing varieties: American Linden, Red Oak, Freeman Maple, Sargent Cherry, Chinese Pistache, Dawn Redwood, American Sweetgum, Fruitless Sweetgum, and Tuliptree. Remember to select trees suitable for your climate, soil conditions, and available space. Maintain tree health with proper pruning techniques.