5 Fast-Growing Deciduous Trees for Your Yard

If you’ve ever walked around a neighborhood filled with trees, you’ve likely seen many deciduous trees. Trees are categorized as deciduous if they have leaves that fall off at the end of each growing period, as with the change in seasons. The leaves on these trees are wide and flat. The branches spread out as these trees grow, which is what gives them their rounded shape. Deciduous trees can be found in many yards, but remember, they do lose their leaves, so if you opt to plant trees from this family, you’ll have to deal with leaves on the ground in the fall and winter.

If this is something that you don’t mind, here are five fast-growing deciduous trees you can plant in your yard.

Hybrid Poplar

The hybrid poplar, also known as the cottonwood, is one of the fastest-growing trees you can plant in your yard in general. It grows at an average rate of five to eight feet each year. Seven to ten years after germination, it can even be harvested for its firewood.

When the hybrid polar is at its full maturation, it reaches a height of 40 to 50 feet tall. This makes it great for privacy and shade when it’s fully leafed during the spring and summer. The leaves on these trees have a silvery-green shade. The tree itself is a broad shape. This species is a cottonless hybrid, which means it’s seedless. It doesn’t produce the fuzzy, messy seeds typically found on cottonwoods.

Freeman Maple

Most maple trees are deciduous trees, but the freeman maple grows more quickly than some of the others. These trees grow two to three feet each year with good precipitation and good soil that’s well-drained and has a neutral pH. Planting this tree in a sunny area is best. When it reaches its full height, it can be as tall as 75 to 80 feet and can reach as wide as 45 to 50 feet.

Autumn blaze maples are a variety of the freeman maple. This species grows extremely fast for a maple tree, growing at a rate of three feet per year. These trees grow to a height a bit smaller than the regular freeman maple, reaching 50 to 60 feet tall and 40 to 50 feet wide.

Tulip Tree

When they’re in their young stages, tulip trees grow at a fast rate: more than 25 inches per year. However, as tulip trees get older, their growth slows to a more medium rate, growing 13 to 24 inches per year. They need a lot of space to grow, so tulip trees work best in large yards. These trees thrive in full sun and when planted in soil that’s moist, deep, and slightly acidic.

At maturity, tulip trees reach a height of 75 to 90 feet high and 40 to 50 feet wide. The leaves on these trees are quite striking. The lobe-shaped leaves can conceal tulip-shaped flowers that are revealed during the spring. These leaves then turn a yellow color during the fall.

Dawn Redwood

It’s common to believe that these are part of the evergreen family, but dawn redwoods are the only living species in its genus that are deciduous trees. These trees grow at a rate of more than 24 inches per year. They should be planted in an area that’s full of sun and in soil that drains well, is moist, and is also slightly acidic.

When a dawn redwood reaches its full maturity, it stands at a tall height of 70 to 100 feet high but only 25 feet wide. As you can imagine, the shape of this tree is quite pyramidical. Dawn redwood trees have feathery green needles that turn a deep russet orange color in the fall. The bark of this tree is also striking, as it’s deeply fluted.

Heritage River Birch

The heritage river birch tree is the fastest-growing variety of the river birch. These trees can grow up to 30 inches per year, depending on the area in which they’re planted. They also tend to be larger and have shinier leaves than other trees in the river birch family. Heritage river birch trees need to be planted in an area that’s partially shaded, and they grow better in soil that’s both moist and acidic.

At maturity, these trees reach both a height and width of 40 to 60 feet. They are multi-stemmed trees and have an irregular crown. In the fall, the leathery green leaves on the heritage river bitch trees fall off. Additionally, the bark peels and has a varying salmon-white to brownish color.

There are many great types of deciduous trees that you can plant in your yard to add beauty to it. However, if you’re looking for a fast-growing one, the above are a great five to start with. Fast-growing deciduous trees are species that grow 25 inches or more per year, and all of the above meet that requirement. If you want a tree that reaches maturity quickly, these are the trees you should be looking at. Take time to decide which of these will fit well in your yard.

Just remember that deciduous trees do lose their leaves and flowers come fall. This will take an extra level of yard and tree upkeep that you may not need with other types of trees. If you’re unsure as to whether deciduous trees are for you, or if you’re unsure whether fast-growing deciduous trees are for you, Mr. Tree will be happy to talk more with you and help you make your decision. Give us a call today, and we can come see your yard and advise you as to which trees we recommend for your space.