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What are some fast-growing trees?

9K views 32 replies 14 participants last post by  Scuba_Dave 
#1 ·
I recently cut some old trees down. For privacy, I would like to plant some new trees around the perimeter of the yard. I don't want to spend a whole lot on these trees, so I'd like to plant young trees that are fast growing. Any ideas on what I could plant? And if there's something other than trees (bushes, grasses, etc.) that grow tall pretty fast, I'm open to that as well.
 
#2 ·
Questions:
1. How far do you need the perimeter?
2. How high do you need?
3. What other concerns- other plants, power lines, septic lines, etc?
4. What trees did you remove and did they serve the purpose?
5. Just to ask- why did you remove them?

There are a lot of choices, some better than others in certain situations.
 
#5 ·
Eucalyptus can grow 12-18 feet/year in the right climate.

But it can also drop a lot of branch debris. Albesia is another very fast grower and is known to drop entire limbs.

Then there is the African tulip tree. 20-30 feet in a year here. And left unchecked, you can have a multi acre forest of them in no time at all. Very agressive spreade with long, long, long root runners.

So you may want to check into more than just growth rate. Many factors to consider with trees. Some are incredibly messy.
 
#7 ·
Here's a website that has some good info on trees to plant and not to plant.

http://forestry.about.com/od/treeplanting/a/best_yard_tree.htm

And if there's something other than trees (bushes, grasses, etc.) that grow tall pretty fast, I'm open to that as well.
Do a google search on 'Summerwine Ninebark'. I've been reading a lot about it and it looks like it would make a beautiful privacy screen. Here's one site where I found some information on it:

http://www.colorchoiceplants.com/summer_wine.htm
 
#11 ·
Hey, thanks for all the suggestions. I'll take a look at each of those on the Internet. We have about maybe 40 feet of perimeter to cover in all. I guess about 20 feet high would be sufficient. We don't have anything in the way as far as power lines, septic lines, or anything like that. We bought this house last year and there were lots of dead trees. The main tree that we wanted down was a hickory tree (maybe 70 feet high) that dropped LOTS of nuts onto the house, onto the sitting patio, and onto the driveway. Plus, for some reason, the previous owner had a cable installed to hold the main 2 branches together and we had a major concern of that tree falling on the house. Also, we had an ash tree that was choked with vines and poison ivy that we just couldn't get rid of, and we didn't want that falling on the house. But most of the other trees were just dead or in bad shape. We had 13 trees in all removed, as well as the stumps. We were told by the tree guy that we could just leave the leftover sawdust from the ground-out stumps in place, let it sit for about a month or so, then throw topsoil on that and plant our grass. But I posted this on another thread and they said no, to take out that sawdust because it would eventually decompose and we'd have more of a sinkhole there. So I'm glad to learn that now rather than later down the road. Considering the size tree and the amount of perimeter we want to cover, maybe some kind of pine tree would be good---a no-maintenance tree that would fill the space year round and that would look good. I'll have to look into fast-growing pines. Oh, by the way, we're located in Cincinnati, Ohio (I think that's zone 6).
 
#14 ·
most fast growing trees are either short lived or messy and stay away from imported speicies they can actully be harmful in the landscape
An excellent point, one of the best in this thread thus far. I would add quite often brittle and will break easily, which I believe (danger) was a concern of the OP.

Maples...
Which variety? NOT all the same.

OP- that follow-up info was excellent!
 
#15 ·
Instead of looking into fast growing trees I looked into what trees I wanted. I have planted 5 birch trees - 1 is a red leaf white birch, a 2nd is a quaking aspen birch. Several of these arte over 12-15' tall now. An advantage to these trees is that they look great, but the leaves arevery small = less to rake

I have 12 cherry trees I planted, I'm getting cherries after 3 years
I planted an almond tree - its over 15' tall now, quite a few almonds now
I have 3 apple trees growing
Kiwi vines growing on 8' lattice
1 plum tree (1 died)
I have over 100 Rose O Sharons (free), most are between 3-10'
These are flowering slow growing bushes/trees that Max out at 25'

I started planting in 2004, most were very small - a lot under 2' tall
 
#18 · (Edited)
The Rose O Sharons were free from a nearby restaurant
They have a hedge made up of them & the landscapers pull the seedlings out & toss them. I helped weed for a bit & walked away with 40+ seedlings
I bought most of my seedlings 8-10 years ago at my old house
Then I transplanted them to the new house 5 years ago
Possibly from Gurneys, I didn't keep a record back then
At the time I was able to buy qty of 10 for cheap $$ 18" tall
I haven't seen the same offer anywhere else since

Once our addition is finished (and paid for) I'm going to be buying some more Japanese Maples - but the non-common versions that you do not find at Lowes ( I bought 2 at end of season for about $10 each - 3 to 4' tall)
http://www.buymaples.com/

Waterfall version is my favorite



I also bought about 50 hibiscus plants & planted them all around my house
The large flowers are up to 8"+ across when blooming

 
#22 ·
A neighbor mentioned arbor...(?). I don't remember the exact name, but he pointed one out to me and it looked like a tall juniper bush, maybe 10 feet tall and bushy (4 feet wide). Actually, a lot of houses have these bushes on their properties, but mostly at the front door. That would probably be a good thing to go with, considering it looks maintenance-free. But I don't know how expensive they are, what size they are to begin with, or how fast-growing they are. By the way, I'm sure glad that I looked at this thread. For some reason, I haven't gotten a confirmation email that someone replied to the thread---and come to find out I had 2 pages' worth. Thanks for all the suggestions. Does anyone know of what I'm trying to describe above?
 
#23 · (Edited)
It's called an Arborvitae. There are different varieties, so you'll want to find out how they differ so you'll get the kind that will fit your space (once they are mature). Certain varieties look very nice, others, in my opinion, look scragely.

When I planted mine, I put them the recommended distance from each other, and there is still at least 18" between them. Not much privacy there, almost none. I already wrote about them in post #9.

I didn't research mine before I bought them and I ended up getting the ones that grow very slowly. :thumbdown:

Google 'Arborvitae' and you'll get an idea of what you want, if that's what you decide to do.
 
#24 ·
I think you'd be hard pressed to beat ***** Arborvitae(Thuja Occidentalis) for what you are trying to do. I had 20 on my lot line and just planted an additional 10. Hardy,fast growing,fairly inexpensive,attractive evergreen foliage and other than planting properly and starting them off with some good organic slow release fertilizer( Milorganite) -NO maintenance. I planted first 20 I mentioned in 1989,5 feet apart.The tallest are now 20 feet tall and they completely block out the house on the other side from them.I have not had one bit of problem with them. Check em' out.
 
#25 · (Edited)
A textbook that I had in a Georgia Certified Landscape Professional (UGA) curriculum references Thuja occidentalis '*****' as being 20-30' high and 4-8' wide.

White29,
Sounds like you are just about on par. BTW, your post is exactly what we need more of on this forum. Your personal experience qualified by specific information. Good job!:thumbsup:

There are also some junipers which grow a little faster usually than the thujas. Look for the chinese juniper hetzi, or "hetzii." But, always read the label. Junipers are one of those families that come in very different sizes and shapes.

I was somewhat kidding about the canes earlier. But, proofer said he was looking for "young trees that are fast growing. Any ideas on what I could plant? And if there's something other than trees (bushes, grasses, etc.) that grow tall pretty fast, I'm open to that as well."

Canes fall into that category- kind of. Proofer, that's why with landscaping one needs to give as much detail as possible about what he needs. Lots of choices and I am sure something will work like it was custom made for your yard. Actually that is what breeding programs are all about but that's a different story for another day.:whistling2:

Silver maple, red maple, sugar maple....not japanese maple.
Also, Trident maple, Amur maple, Paperbark maple, Norway maple, ... Frankly, Silver maples are bad near septic lines, will put up knees in the lawn, and prone to break rather easily.
 
#26 ·
Thanks for the comment,downunder. Concerning Hetzi juniper, I wouldn't plant them, in fact a had several and took them out. When I was younger I worked at a nursery which grew quite a lot of them,so I liked them. They do grow fast but in my experiance they are too fast and end up overgrown and scraggly.To keep them in some control ends up being a lot of shearing and in short they get ugly, for my taste anyway.:wink:
 
#27 ·
There's the difference in how the same plant grows in different areas. I had some here and never had that problem. I had them by mistake. When I got them at WM, I didn't pay attention to how the stock people had arranged them. I intended to get Pfizers because I wanted them as a traffic/noise screen next to the road. The front yard slopes a little and I planted them at the edge of the right of way. I am on a semi-country blacktop road. Anyway, the 5 feet or so of the Pfizers would have been perfect, but the Hetzis just made a wall and I had to continually shape them. Of course, all plants want to grow to their natural size. Junipers don't usually take too well to pruning, so they never looked as good as they should have. I can imagine in your area they catch a lot of snow load as well.
As far as growing too fast, I didn't find that a problem in itself but as a rule, fast growing plants are not as strong or attractive as slower varieties. Seems like they always look like a gangly teenager.
 
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