Fast Growing Trees

Always green trees

Ash (Arizona)

A fast-growing perennial deciduous shade tree native to Arizona & parts of Southwestern New Mexico. The “velvet” is a gray fuzz that covers the young twigs and leaves. Young trees are pyramidal, but the shape becomes more rounded and open as mature height is reached. Deciduous tree, up to 30 feet tall or more.

Ash (Bonita)

The Bonita Ash is gaining popularity for its lush, broad canopy and flashy yellow/orange display of color in autumn. Once established, it is drought tolerant and requires minimal supplemental irrigation to sustain dense, green foliage through the summer months. It is a fast grower and withstands high winds.

Ash (Fan Tex)

Originally cultivated in San Antonio for its smooth, glossy leaflets and increased tolerance to alkalinity. It makes an excellent shade tree for hot summer regions. It matures at about 35 feet with a spreading rounded canopy. It is a heat tolerant shade tree with a yellow fall color. Fan Tex is considered to be fast growing.

Ash (Raywood)

This Ash is a fine-textured, deciduous tree which commonly grows to be 40 to 50 feet tall with a 25 foot spread in a landscape, opening into a full, rounded canopy with age. Young trees are somewhat upright or oval. The lustrous, dark green leaflets create a light shade beneath the tree The leaves turn various shades of red to purple before falling in autumn.

Bald Cypress

This lofty, deciduous conifer grows 50-75 ft. or taller. It is slender and conical in youth, becoming flat-topped in very old age. Sage-green leaves resemble feathers and turn copper-colored before falling. A tapering trunk is slightly buttressed at the swollen base. Knees develop mostly in poorly drained situations. Exfoliating bark is red-brown to silver.

Chinese Pistache

The Chinese pistache tree is a notable ornamental tree, especially during the fall season when the normally dark green foliage changes to a dramatic profusion of orange and red leaves. An excellent shade tree with a broad canopy, Chinese pistache can reach heights of between 30-60 feet.It fulfills a valuable niche for wildlife as birds love the berries.

Elm (Cedar)

The cedar elm grows to a height of 50–70' and a spread of 40–60' at maturity. It grows at a medium rate, with height increases of 13–24" per year. The cedar elm has been a favorite street tree for towns in the desert southwest due to its ability to survive in difficult soil types with little care. It is very drought-tolerant but can also grow in ground that is periodically saturated. This tree is considered both a shade tree and an ornamental tree.

Elm (Lacebark)

Lacebark elm is a medium-sized deciduous tree that typically grows to 30-50 feet. Due to its medium-fast growth rate, hardiness and visual qualities, it is often planted as a landscape tree. Leaves typically turn an dull yellow in fall and sometimes produce more interesting yellows or reddish-purples. This tree has mottled bark and once the tree matures the bark flakes to reveal patches of gray, cream, orange, brown and green.The bark resembles camouflage.

Loblolly Pine

If you are looking for a pine tree that grows fast with a straight trunk and attractive needles, the Loblolly pine may be your tree. It can grow more than 2 feet per year. It can grow to 90 feet but usually remains under 50 feet under landscape conditions. The loblolly is a tall attractive evergreen with yellow to dark-green needles up to 10 inches long. The columnar trunk of the loblolly is also very lovely, covered with reddish-brown plates of bark. Loblolly pine.

Mexican Sycamore

A rapidly growing deciduous tree native to central and northeastern Mexico. It has very large, beautiful, maple-shaped bright green leaves, with soft-white, fuzzy undersides. The most stunning quality about this tree is its bark: a living work of art that gets more beautiful and intricate with age. It can get up to 80 feet tall in nature, but in most landscapes will only reach 50 feet, with a canopy of 30 feet wide.

Oak (Bur)

Usually wider than tall, this tree can exceed 100 ft. in height and width. The species name macrocarpa, refers to the golf ball sized acorns of this tree. The leaves of bur oak also are large, so they are easy to rake. Bur oak is drought resistant, long-lived and reasonably fast-growing for an oak. Tolerates limey soils better than other oaks. Resistant to oak wilt and a number of other problems.

Oak (Chinquapin)

The chinquapin oak grows to a height of 40–50' and a spread of 50–60' at maturity. It features a spreading canopy capable of blocking sunlight and adds visual interest and beauty to landscaping. With its strong branches and interesting leaves, the chinquapin oak makes a beautiful statement.The magnificent oak also adds to the ambiance by drawing a variety of wildlife with its acorns.

Oak (Lacey)

Leaves expand as a soft pink color, turning a handsome blue–green as they mature lending the plant an intriguing smoky air. The foliage is seldom bothered by insects or disease. Fall color varies from brown to yellow. Growth habit will vary with local environmental conditions, with the ultimate size ranging in most cultivated landscapes from 30' to 35' in height and spread. One of the best attributes of Lacey oak is it's picturesque irregularly rounded crown.

Oak (Southern Live)

The live oak tree is a southern symbol of strength. The name live oaks came from the fact that they remain green and "alive" throughout the winter when other oak trees are dormant and leafless. Once established a live oak will grow about 2-4 feet overall and 1 inch of caliper per year. It is the broadest spreading of the oaks producing an abundance of shade.

Oak (Monterrey)

Mexican white oak is a quickly growing tree, which means it can add more than 24 inches to its height in a single growing season. As oaks go, it is medium-size, a class that includes plants from 36 to 72 feet. It is capable of growing to a height of 80 feet and a width of 60 feet when fully mature. Because it is sensitive to its growing environment, Mexican white oak may grow taller and adapt better to warmer climates in addition to keeping its leaves.

Oak (Shumard Red)

Quercus shumardii is a relatively fast-growing and adaptable oak. Shumard's oak is a pyramidal tree, growing 50-90 ft. and becoming more open at maturity. This species is quite drought resistant and also withstands short-term flooding. It is similar to the Texas or Spanish oak, but prefers deeper soils and tends to grow taller and straighter. Provides good fall foliage color. Named for Benjamin Franklin Shumard (1820-69), state geologist of Texas.

Oak (Texas Red)

Usually a medium-sized tree to 35 feet tall with one or more trunks 10" in diameter, but can reach heights of 70 feet on fertile sites.Texas Red Oak is smaller and more drought tolerant than Shumard Red Oak. The foliage turns bright shades of vivid red and orange in autumn. Be aware that all red oak species are susceptible to oak wilt disease. This species was named for Samuel B. Buckley, (1809–1884) botanist and state geologist of Texas.