12 Smart Trees Perfect for City Gardens and Small Yards

Fast-growing trees offer a great option if you need to add shade or privacy to your yard quickly. However, it is important to carefully select the right trees for your climate and the amount of available space. Decide on a specific type of tree before planting, as this will help ensure a healthy and thriving tree for years to come.

Hybrid poplars are one of the most popular fast-growing trees on the market. These trees can grow eight feet every year and reach a height of 40 to 50 feet. These trees are great for providing a fast screen of shade and are considered one of the most durable types of fast-growing trees. Among the popular varieties are the eastern cottonwood, the black poplar and the Lombardy poplar.

The northern catalpa is another popular and fast-growing tree known for its huge, flashy flower clusters and its thick canopy. These trees can reach a height of 40 to 50 feet and are well-known for their ability to block sun and offer a good amount of shade during the hot months.

Dawn redwoods, another fast-growing option, can reach 100 feet tall and 25 feet in diameter. These popular trees grow best in well-drained areas with plenty of sunlight and are popular due to the pyramid shape and orange color of the bark.

Red maples are perfect for providing shade and a splash of color with their red and orange leaves during the fall. Growing five feet per year, these trees can reach heights of up to 40 feet. Red maples also offer great wildlife features as they produce a caterpillar that many species of birds feed on.

The nuttall oak, also known as the red or pin oak, are the fastest growing oak on the market and offer both a strong canopy and plenty of acorns for wildlife. These trees can reach heights of up to 80 feet and a width of 40 feet.

American sycamores, also called American planetrees, feature a unique white bark and impressive growth rates of around three feet per year. These big trees are typically found close to a water source and can reach heights of up to 70 feet. One of the advantages of planting sycamores is that the branches offer a thick coverage from the sun.

Freeman maples are a hybrid variety of maple tree and are known for their fast growth of up to eight feet per year. At full growth, these trees reach heights of 80 feet and widths of 50 feet. These maples offer a great canopy of shade and eye-catching colors of red and orange in the fall.

Paper birch trees are chosen for their impressive white bark and fast growth rate of up to six feet per year. These trees typically reach heights of 40 feet and while they produce sap, they need a large number of trees to produce enough to be utilized year-round.

Chinese tallows are popular in the southern states due to their resistance to pests, warm climate and their colorful foliage. These trees can reach a height of 40 feet and are known for their fast growth rate of 18 inches per year.

Baldcypress are perfect for areas with high moisture due to their natural resistance to pests and disease. The cypress can reach up to 100 feet tall and 40 feet wide with a fast growth rate of up to two feet per year.

Lastly, cottonwoods are popular in the Eastern United States and are known for their fast growth rate of four feet per year. These trees can reach heights of up to 70 feet and their wood is known for its brittleness. Related Lombardy poplars are often planted as privacy screens around homes.

Lastly, weepin willows are popularly found in the south and can grow up to eight feet per year under ideal conditions. These trees require a lot of water and faster growing hybrid versions have been breeding to be better suited for dryer climates.

When selecting a fast-growing tree for your yard, make sure to choose one that is suited to your climate and the amount of space you have. Investing in a tree with fast growing potential will add shade, color and privacy to your yard in a relatively short period in time.