How Fast Do Trees Grow? Growth Rates for 40+ Common Species
How fast do trees grow? Most landscape trees add somewhere between 1 and 2 feet of height a year once they settle in. That’s the middle of the pack. The full range is wider than people expect: a slow grower like white oak puts on under a foot a year, while a hybrid poplar can shoot up 5 to 8 feet in a single season.
Growth rate gets measured in feet of new height per year, and it’s the number that decides how long you wait for shade, privacy, or fruit. This page is the fast-growing trees hub: a sourced table for 40-plus species, the thresholds that separate slow from fast, and what you can do to push a tree along. If you’re weighing whether to plant at all, mklibrary’s piece on whether a new tree fits your garden is worth a look first. If you came here for shade specifically, jump to our fast-growing shade trees guide, or our fast-growing privacy trees guide if you need a screen.
What counts as fast, medium, and slow growth
Nurseries and extension programs use a standard scale based on how much new height a tree adds in a year:
- Slow: under 12 inches per year
- Medium: 13 to 24 inches per year
- Fast: 25 inches per year or more
So what is a fast growing tree? Anything that clears 2 feet of new growth a season. The Arbor Day Foundation rates trees on this same scale, and the NC State Extension Plant Toolbox tags every species as Slow, Medium, or Rapid using these exact bands. The Arbor Day Foundation’s fastest fast growing trees list tops out with hybrid poplar at 5 to 8 feet a year, which is about as fast as a yard tree gets.
Two things to keep in mind. First, these numbers describe young, healthy trees. Growth slows hard as a tree matures, so a maple adding 3 feet a year at age 5 might add 1 foot at age 25. Second, the same species grows faster in good soil with enough water than it does in compacted clay. The rate is a starting point, not a promise.
Growth rates for 40+ trees
Every number below is grounded in a university extension or Arbor Day Foundation source, linked in the Source column. Where a source rated a tree Slow, Medium, or Rapid rather than giving an exact figure, the ft/yr range reflects that band (slow under 1, medium 1 to 2, rapid 2-plus). Heights and zones come from the same source page, and the years-to-mature column is our own estimate from mature height and growth rate, not a sourced figure.
| Species | Growth rate (ft/yr) | Years to mature | Mature height | USDA zones | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid poplar | 5–8 | 10–15 | 40–50 ft | 3–9 | Arbor Day Foundation |
| Weeping willow | 3–8 | 15–20 | 30–40 ft | 6–8 | NC State Extension |
| Eastern cottonwood | 2+ | 15–20 | 75–100 ft | 3–9 | NC State Extension |
| Green Giant arborvitae | 3–4 | 15–20 | 40–60 ft | 5–8 | NC State Extension |
| Leyland cypress | 3–4 | 15–20 | 60–70 ft | 6–10 | Clemson HGIC |
| Loblolly pine | 2+ | 20–25 | 60–90 ft | 6–9 | NC State Extension |
| Silver maple | 2+ | 20–30 | 50–80 ft | 3–9 | NC State Extension |
| American sycamore | 2+ | 25–30 | 75–100 ft | 4–9 | NC State Extension |
| American sweetgum | 2+ | 25–30 | 60–100 ft | 5–9 | NC State Extension |
| Tulip poplar | 2+ | 25–30 | 80–120 ft | 4–9 | NC State Extension |
| Red maple | 2+ | 20–30 | 40–70 ft | 2–9 | NC State Extension |
| Autumn Blaze (Freeman) maple | 2+ | 20–25 | 45–70 ft | 3–8 | NC State Extension |
| Willow oak | 2+ | 25–30 | 40–75 ft | 5–9 | NC State Extension |
| River birch | 2+ | 15–20 | 30–70 ft | 4–9 | NC State Extension |
| Hackberry | 2+ | 20–30 | 40–60 ft | 3–9 | NC State Extension |
| Thornless honeylocust | 2+ | 20–25 | 30–70 ft | 4–9 | NC State Extension |
| Eastern white pine | 2+ | 25–30 | 50–80 ft | 3–8 | NC State Extension |
| Dawn redwood | 2+ | 25–30 | 62–100 ft | 4–8 | NC State Extension |
| Giant sequoia | 2+ | 30+ | 40–60 ft (cultivated) | 6–8 | NC State Extension |
| Crepe myrtle | 2+ | 5–10 | 6–30 ft | 6–9 | NC State Extension |
| Red mulberry | 2+ | 10–15 | 25–60 ft | 4–9 | NC State Extension |
| Mimosa (silk tree) | 2+ | 5–10 | 20–40 ft | 6–9 | NC State Extension |
| Common fig | 2+ | 5–8 | 10–30 ft | 7–10 | NC State Extension |
| Banana | 2+ | 1–2 | 12–20 ft | 10–11 | NC State Extension |
| Southern magnolia | 1–2 | 20–30 | 60–80 ft | 6–10 | NC State Extension |
| Live oak | 1–2 | 30+ | 40–80 ft | 8–10 | NC State Extension |
| Eastern redbud | 1–2 | 8–12 | 20–30 ft | 4–9 | NC State Extension |
| Ginkgo | 1–2 | 25–30 | 50–80 ft | 3–9 | NC State Extension |
| Pecan | 1–2 | 20–30 | 70–100 ft | 5–9 | NC State Extension |
| American chestnut | 1–2 | 20–30 | 50–75 ft | 5–8 | NC State Extension |
| Pawpaw | 1–2 | 7–10 | 15–30 ft | 5–9 | NC State Extension |
| Apple | 1–2 | 5–10 | 15–30 ft | 4–9 | NC State Extension |
| Japanese flowering cherry | 1–2 | 8–12 | 15–25 ft | 5–8 | NC State Extension |
| Pomegranate | 1–2 | 5–8 | 10–12 ft | 8–11 | NC State Extension |
| Flowering dogwood | 1–2 | 12–15 | 15–25 ft | 5–9 | NC State Extension |
| Bald cypress | 1–2 | 25–30 | 50–70 ft | 4–9 | NC State Extension |
| Deodar cedar | 1–2 | 20–25 | 30–50 ft | 7–9 | NC State Extension |
| Cabbage palm | 1–2 | 10–20 | 12–35 ft | 7–11 | NC State Extension |
| White oak | under 1 | 30+ | 80–100 ft | 3–9 | NC State Extension |
| Olive | under 1 | 15–20 | 20–30 ft | 8–10 | NC State Extension |
That’s 40 species, all sourced. A few entries (palm, pine, oak, cedar, maple) cover a genus with dozens of options, so the rate reflects a representative species: cabbage palm for palm, loblolly and white pine for pine, willow oak and white oak for the fast and slow ends of oak, deodar for cedar, and red and Freeman maple for maple. The per-species sections below dig into the most-searched ones.
How fast do the most-searched trees grow?
Magnolia
Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) grows at a medium rate, 1 to 2 feet a year, and reaches 60 to 80 feet over a couple of decades, per NC State Extension. Smaller types like saucer and star magnolia grow slower and stay under 25 feet. See our magnolia growth rate guide for the difference between species and when they start blooming.
Oak
Oaks aren’t all slow. White oak crawls along at under a foot a year, but willow oak puts on 2-plus feet, both per NC State Extension. Pick the right species and you get oak strength without the 30-year wait. Our oak tree growth rate guide ranks the fastest oaks worth planting.
Pine
Pines lean fast. Loblolly pine has the quickest growth of any pine and clears 2 feet a year, reaching 60 to 90 feet, per NC State Extension. Eastern white pine keeps pace and handles colder zones. The pine tree growth rate guide breaks down rates by species.
Maple
Red maple and Autumn Blaze both grow 2-plus feet a year, while silver maple matches that speed but drops weak limbs in every storm, per NC State Extension. For a full rundown of the genus, see our types of maple trees guide.
Crepe myrtle
Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is a rapid grower, adding 2-plus feet a year and topping out anywhere from 6 to 30 feet depending on cultivar, per NC State Extension. Our crepe myrtle growth rate guide covers how hard pruning affects growth and bloom.
Palm
Most landscape palms grow at a medium pace. Cabbage palm adds 1 to 2 feet a year and reaches 12 to 35 feet, per NC State Extension. Palms gain trunk height only after they finish building their root and crown structure, so the first few years look slow above ground.
Willow
Weeping willow is one of the fastest trees you can plant, growing 3 to 8 feet a year to a mature 30 to 40 feet, per NC State Extension. That speed comes with thirsty, aggressive roots, so keep it well away from septic lines and foundations.
Dogwood
Flowering dogwood grows at a medium rate, 1 to 2 feet a year, and settles in around 15 to 25 feet, per NC State Extension. It’s an understory tree, so it actually grows better with some afternoon shade than in full blazing sun.
Fig
Common fig is a rapid grower, putting on 2-plus feet a year and reaching 10 to 30 feet, per NC State Extension. In warm zones it can fruit within two to three years of planting, faster than most backyard fruit trees.
What makes a tree grow faster
Growth rate is genetic, but the actual speed you get depends on four things the tree needs from its site.
Soil. Loose, well-drained soil lets roots spread and feed. Compacted clay starves a tree no matter how fast its genes say it should grow. Loosen a wide planting area, not just a narrow hole.
Water. This is the biggest lever in the first two summers. Consistent deep watering during the establishment window does more for growth than anything else you can do. A tree that dries out in July stalls for the rest of the season.
Sun. Most fast growers want full sun, six-plus hours a day. Plant a sun-lover in shade and it stretches, thins out, and slows down. Match the tree to the light it’ll actually get.
Root establishment. A tree spends its first year or two building roots before it pushes much top growth. That slow start is normal and necessary. The wider and healthier the root system, the faster the height gain that follows. Rushing it with heavy fertilizer just produces weak, floppy wood.
How to make a tree grow faster
You can’t change a tree’s genetics, but you can remove every excuse it has to grow slowly.
Plant it right. Dig the hole two to three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Set the root flare at grade, never buried. A dose of root stimulator at planting gives transplants a phosphorus boost that pushes root growth in those first critical weeks, which is where future height comes from. Our planting a tree guide covers timing, and fall is the best window in most zones.
Water deep and check the soil. For the first 12 weeks, water 2 to 3 times a week, then weekly until the tree establishes over 1 to 3 years. Deep soaks beat daily sprinkles. Stop guessing whether it’s thirsty: an XLUX moisture meter reads the soil at root depth so you water on the tree’s schedule, not the calendar’s. Our watering newly planted trees guide has the full schedule by tree size.
Mulch. A 3-inch ring of mulch, pulled back from the trunk, holds moisture and keeps roots cool. It’s the least expensive thing you can do for growth. The same fundamentals carry over to the rest of the yard, and mklibrary’s guide to growing a beautiful, thriving garden is a good companion read.
Feed lightly, and only after year one. Don’t fertilize at planting. Starting in the second season, an organic slow-release feed like Espoma Tree-Tone supports steady growth without forcing the weak, storm-prone wood that heavy nitrogen creates. Test your soil first so you feed what’s actually missing. Our tree fertilizer guide walks through what to use and when.
Frequently asked questions
How fast do trees grow on average? Most landscape trees add 1 to 2 feet of height a year once established, which extension programs call a medium growth rate. The full range runs from under a foot a year for slow growers like white oak to 5 to 8 feet for a hybrid poplar.
What is the fastest growing tree? Hybrid poplar is the fastest yard tree, growing 5 to 8 feet a year per the Arbor Day Foundation. Weeping willow and Green Giant arborvitae aren’t far behind. The catch with the fastest trees is weak wood and short lifespans, so they’re a trade, not a free lunch.
Do trees grow faster with fertilizer? Only when the soil is short on a nutrient. Fertilizer can’t speed up a tree that already has what it needs, and heavy nitrogen produces weak, floppy growth that breaks in storms. Water and good soil drive growth far more than feeding does. Skip fertilizer the first year entirely.
How long until a tree provides shade? A tree growing 2 to 3 feet a year usually casts meaningful shade within 5 to 7 years of planting. Buying a larger 2 to 3 inch caliper tree from the nursery shaves a couple of years off that wait. See our fast-growing shade trees guide for the species that get you there quickest.
Why did my tree stop growing? The two usual culprits are water stress and a buried root flare. A tree that dried out badly or was planted too deep will stall and may not recover for a season or two. Check the trunk base: you should see the flare widen at the soil line, not a straight pole going into the ground.