Fast Growing Trees, Royal Empress - Growing & Planting Zones

Fast-growing trees can make the difference between waiting decades for shade or privacy and waiting just a few years. With an average growth of 3 to 15 feet per year, these types of trees can help filter air pollution, protect your home from high winds, reduce soil erosion, encourage wildlife to populate the area, and even provide food for your family. No matter where you live, you can find the perfect tree to thrive in your planting zone.

The Top 5 Fastest Growing Trees for Privacy

While many people plant trees for Earth Day or Arbor Day, some people decide to buy trees for privacy. If you want to keep your costs down, it's important to find smaller trees that will grow quickly because most local nurseries charge more for larger trees. Consider one of these tree varieties:

Royal Empress Tree

Willow Hybrid

Lombardy Poplar

Dawn Redwood

Leland Cypress

Finding Your Planting Zone

Before you consider which fast-growing tree to plant, find your planting zone with our zone locator. Once you know your zone, see which of the following trees grow fast in your area.

The Royal Empress Tree

With a growth rate of 10 to 15 feet per year, the Royal Empress tree reaches its mature height (40 to 70 feet tall) in just three years. Many arborists consider it the fastest growing shade tree, and it grows well in planting zones 5 -11. With its ability to grow well in a variety of soils and its low-maintenance requirements, the Royal Empress is a good choice for beginning tree growers. While its blossoms create a thick canopy for privacy and shade, the Royal Empress can be invasive, according to the Backyard Gardener, and some cities consider the Royal Empress to be a weed tree.

Willow Hybrid

Most people plant willow hybrid, which is the fastest growing willow tree, for privacy. For the best results, plant trees in row to form a natural barricade, a windbreak or privacy screen. The deciduous trees can grow at a rate of 6 to 12 feet per year and have a mature height of 35 to 75 feet. For the best results, choose willow hybrids for growing zones 2 – 9.

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Lombardy Poplar

Similar to the willow hybrid, the Lombardy poplar is a good option when you want a privacy tree that grows fast. It can grow 8 to 10 feet per year, and it reaches a mature height of 40 to 60 feet. With silver-green leaves that attract song birds in the spring and stunning gold foliage in the fall, these popular fence-line trees thrive in planting zones 3 - 9.

The tree does have more problems than the willow hybrid. Poplars in general require more maintenance because they are disease prone, produce a high amount of litter and only live about 20 years. Horticulturists don't usually recommend Lombardy poplar trees unless your main consideration is fast growth.

Dawn Redwood

Compared to the previous fast-growing trees, the dawn redwood may seem slow with its 3 to 5 foot growth each year. However, the tree is one of the fastest growing redwood trees, and it can provide a lush privacy screen when you group several together. Popular with world-championship golf course designers and landscapers, the redwood tree has green needles throughout the summer and turns brilliant shades of orange and brown in the fall. The tree thrives in waterlogged areas, will rarely require pruning and grows well in planting zones 5 - 8.

Leland Cypress

With Leland cypress trees, you won't need to spend money on a traditional fence. With a growth of three feet per year, these evergreen trees will look nice all year round. You can plant these trees in rows or spread them a little further apart so that they will touch when they reach their mature spread (around 15-feet wide). For height, expect up to 120 feet at mature growth. While several of the other fast-growing trees do well in cooler zones, this tree variety thrives in growing zones 6 - 10.

Find the Most Popular Fast-Growing Trees

Local and online nurseries often categorize fast-growing trees. You can find the most popular fast-growing trees, the fastest growing shade trees or the fastest growing maple trees just by browsing the recommended selections. Some websites, like Fast-Growing-Trees.com, host a fast-growing tree sale at different times throughout the year. For example, the site offered a coupon code (fast15) to guests who purchased trees for Earth Day 2011. The promo code provided guests with a 15 percent discount. Other websites offered Arbor Day 2011 promotions.

Is a Fast-Growing Tree Right for You?

The purpose for planting a tree may help you determine whether you want a tree that grows fast or another type of tree, unlike Christmas Trees which are bought as ornaments just to be discarded. For example, you may prefer to plant a fruit tree that will grow slower but yield yummy treats. Others consider how trees and shrubs will affect landscaping design rather than worrying about how fast the components grow. When you consider whether to buy fast-growing trees, keep planting zones, maintenance and your personal preference in mind.