Fast Growing Trees

Fast growing trees on this page reach a useful size in fewer years than most shade trees, in genera including red maple (Acer rubrum), birch (Betula), hackberry (Celtis), desert willow (Chitalpa and Chilopsis), strawberry tree (Arbutus) and camphor (Cinnamomum), sized from 1 gallon starts to 72 inch boxed specimens. Most are deciduous with strong fall color, sun needs run mostly full sun with a few tolerating part sun, and water needs range from low to moderate once established.

Growing fast usually trades off against wood density and root spread, so a quick shade tree is not always the longest lived or the least likely to lift a nearby walkway over time. Several genera here, including birch and hackberry, are rated cold hardy down to lower zones, which makes them workable in colder inland and high desert California yards as well as milder valley and coastal ones; see the full shade tree selection for slower, longer lived options too.
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Grown by California nurseriesMaple, birch, hackberry and more1 gallon to 72 inch box
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Common uses

Where the plants on this page usually go, and what to browse next.

Quick shade for a new patio

A fast growing tree started at 15 gallon or larger can cast usable shade over a new patio within a few seasons instead of a decade.

Trees

A living screen while shrubs fill in

Planted alongside slower evergreen shrubs, a fast growing tree adds height and screening sooner than the shrub layer alone can provide.

Privacy and Screening Plants

A home orchard row with quick canopy

Almond and other fast growing fruit and nut trees on this page add height and eventually edible harvest faster than many slower orchard trees.

Fruit Trees

Root protection for a new planting

A mulch layer over the root zone of a young, fast growing tree holds moisture and moderates soil temperature while roots establish quickly.

Bark, Mulch and Topsoil

Fast Growing Trees Buying Guide

How to choose, what to check before you order, and how plant orders are delivered.

Fast growing trees reach a useful canopy or screening height in fewer years than a typical shade tree, which is the main reason to choose one, but the speed comes with trade-offs worth knowing before you plant. This page carries red maple, birch, hackberry, desert willow, strawberry tree and camphor, along with a few fast growing edibles such as almond and cane berries, from 1 gallon starts to 72 inch boxed specimens. Matching the genus to your soil, sun and available root space matters as much for a fast grower as for any slower one.

What fast growing really trades off

A tree that grows quickly usually builds softer, less dense wood than a slow grower, which can mean a shorter useful life and a higher chance of storm damage as the tree ages. Fast growers, including some maple and birch varieties, also tend to develop surface roots sooner, which can lift a nearby walkway or patio if the tree is planted too close to hardscape. None of this makes a fast growing tree a poor choice, but it does mean picking a spot with room to spread and accepting a shorter life span in exchange for quicker shade.

Fast growing trees for dry, hot summers

Desert willow (Chitalpa and Chilopsis) is bred for hot, dry conditions and needs only low water once established, which makes it a strong fit for a high desert yard with limited irrigation. Hackberry also tolerates low to moderate water and heat well once its roots are in. Red maple and birch want steadier, moderate moisture through a hot Central Valley summer and are a better match where regular irrigation is already available rather than a truly dry yard.

Deciduous versus evergreen fast growers

Most fast growing trees on this page, including red maple, birch and hackberry, are deciduous and drop their leaves in fall, often with strong color first. Camphor (Cinnamomum) is the evergreen exception here, holding its canopy through winter, which matters if you want shade or a screen year round rather than only during the growing season. A deciduous fast grower still gives more sun through a south facing window in winter, which some yards actually prefer.

Choosing a size for a fast growing tree

Because these genera add height quickly, a smaller, less expensive 5 or 15 gallon size often closes much of the gap with a boxed tree within a few growing seasons, which is not always true of a slow growing species. A boxed tree, up to 72 inch here, gives immediate height and shade for a yard that cannot wait, at a higher cost per tree. Weighing budget against how soon you need real canopy is worth doing before defaulting to the largest size available.

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FAQ

Red maple, birch, hackberry and desert willow (Chitalpa and Chilopsis) are among the faster growing genera on this page, with desert willow in particular built for quick growth in hot, dry conditions. Actual speed still depends on water, soil and how much room the roots have to spread. A tree rated fast growing in good conditions can grow noticeably slower in poor soil or with limited water, so site preparation matters as much as the genus you pick.

Generally yes; trees that add height quickly tend to build softer, less dense wood than slow growers, which can mean more limb breakage in wind or storms and often a shorter overall life span. This is a real trade-off, not a defect, and it does not make a fast growing tree a bad choice for quick shade. Regular structural pruning while the tree is young helps reduce weak, poorly attached branches later on.

They can, since fast growing trees, including some maple and birch varieties, often develop surface roots sooner than a slow growing species, and roots planted too close to a driveway, patio or foundation can eventually lift it. Planting well back from hardscape, generally a distance close to the tree's expected mature canopy width, reduces this risk. A root barrier at installation is another option in a tight yard.

A fast growing tree started as a 15 gallon or boxed size can give meaningful shade within three to five years in good soil with regular water, compared to considerably longer for a slow growing species. Exact timing varies by genus, starting size and how well the tree is watered while its roots establish. A larger boxed tree shortens the wait further but at a higher upfront cost than a smaller container.

It varies by genus rather than by growth speed alone; desert willow and hackberry on this page handle low to moderate water well once established, while red maple and birch want steadier, moderate moisture through a hot summer regardless of how fast they grow. Checking the water rating on each product page is more reliable than assuming every fast grower is drought tolerant or every one needs heavy irrigation.

Because these genera add height quickly, a smaller 5 or 15 gallon tree often catches up to a boxed tree's size within a few growing seasons, at a lower cost, which is less true for a slow growing species. A large boxed tree, up to 72 inch here, still makes sense when a yard needs immediate height or shade and cannot wait for a smaller tree to grow in.

Planning a larger planting?

Send the plant list, sizes and your ZIP and we will confirm delivery and price it before you order.

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Fast growing trees for shade in a California yard

Red maple and hackberry cast the densest, most reliable shade among the fast growers on this page, building a full canopy sooner than a slow growing species, while desert willow and strawberry tree are grown more for their form and flowers than for heavy shade cover. Matching the genus to the job, dense overhead shade versus an airy accent tree, avoids planting the wrong kind of fast grower for what a yard actually needs.

Birch also gives useful shade but prefers steadier moisture than a true drought tolerant shade tree, so pair it with regular irrigation rather than a low water bed.

Fast growing trees for California's different climate zones

The fast growing trees on this page span hardiness zones from about zone 5 through zone 9, which means the same general group of genera works in a cold, high desert winter and in a milder coastal or valley climate, provided you pick the right variety for your zone. Desert willow and hackberry lean toward the hotter, drier end of that range, while birch and red maple handle colder winters more comfortably.

Checking the hardiness zone on each product page against your local winter lows, rather than assuming every fast grower suits every California climate equally, prevents losing a young tree to an unexpected hard frost.

Delivery & Pickup

Fast Growing Trees Delivery Across California & the Southwest

Order fast growing trees for pickup at our Central Valley or Antelope Valley yards, or bulk delivery throughout California — plus Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado. Tell us your ZIP and project and we will quote a delivered price.

Central Valley Visalia Yard 30617 Co Hwy J25, Goshen, CA 93227 Yard details › Antelope Valley Rosamond Yard 1387 Sierra Hwy, Rosamond, CA 93560 Yard details ›

Central Valley

Visalia · Fresno · Bakersfield · Tulare · Clovis · Hanford

Antelope Valley & High Desert

Lancaster · Palmdale · Santa Clarita · Victorville · Tehachapi

Southern California

Los Angeles · Riverside · San Bernardino · San Diego

Nevada, Arizona & Colorado

Las Vegas · Phoenix · Tucson · Denver

See all delivery areas Call (800) 215-7372 for a quote