HELP ~ Fast Growing Trees, need advice

What do you folks know about any of these ultra fast growing trees? Do they create problems, sucker from the roots, break branches in storms, invite pests, etc?

The lovely Mrs_B wants some big trees in a couple spots of the property where the land is bare. We are in USDA agricultural zone 5, below 5000 feet elevation. Heavy clay nutrient starved soil.

Here is a Royal Empress Tree: http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/EmpressTree.htm



Here is a Hybrid Poplar, I actually have a couple of these on the edge of the property, mine did not develop a great canopy and are more vase shaped. I'm a little reluctant to try them in locations that are not along a border.
http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/HybridPoplar.htm


Not quite as fast growing, so it may take it out of consideration, the Tulip Poplar?
http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/TulipPoplar.htm



Here is a company that advertises on TV, its a Willow variant (Salix family of tress) and is supposed to be very vast growing, they call it the Austree.
http://www.rmausa.com/rma/trees/austree_st.html

They also offer some Poplar varieties including the Giant Kiowa which, according to the name, is a giant? The brochure claims very rapid growth.
http://www.rmausa.com/rma/trees/kiowa.html They also have a yellow leaf Poplar variant called the Gold Panner
http://www.rmausa.com/rma/trees/panner.html

And a reddish leaf variety, but I'm not interested in it because it is a windbreak type tree and not a shade tree type.

What I really am looking for is are there any downsides to these trees? I'm probably going to live in my house for another 10 to 15 years and then be gone. The trees claim a life expectancy of 40+ years. But do they get out of hand and throw off a lot of 'volunteers' where you don't want them? Do they have other nasty habits?

Or, will it do what I want and give me shade in a couple years . . . and then not cause any real grief until long after I move away?

I have some Hybrid Poplar's and Tulip Poplar's. The Hybrids are growing fast but the Tulip's are not doing that good. I think it is too cold here for them.

The Hybrid's are nice in the summer but like you suggested mine are on a border. I haven't really had any problems with them but they are only 4-5 years old now (about 15-20 Feet tall).

If you want real windbreak then you might want to consider Leyland Cypress. I planted these at the same time as the Hybrid Poplar and they are keeping up with them. They are green all year round and can be pruned to a nice shape.

I found some Cherry's grow very fast but they may not be the best shade tree if you plan to sit under them.

A Norway Maple I planted is growing very quickly.

I think it all depends on the area. Look around and see what trees are growing in your area and which ones seem to thrive.

PB

I just recently got several of those Royal Paulownia (Empress) Trees. They are only about as big as blades of grass (mail order) now so I can't tell you much about them.
The next bunch of fast growing trees I want to get is the AMERICAN ELM . They are supposed to be nice fast growing trees too.

elsmitro said:

The next bunch of fast growing trees I want to get is the AMERICAN ELM . They are supposed to be nice fast growing trees too.

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I planted 2 of those about 4 years ago? The first year they looked like twigs in the ground. The second year they didn't do much better. Years 3 and 4 were dramatic and they are now 15+' tall with a nice shape and spread.

PBinWA said:

If you want real windbreak then you might want to consider Leyland Cypress. I planted these at the same time as the Hybrid Poplar and they are keeping up with them. They are green all year round and can be pruned to a nice shape.

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I am looking for "shade tree" not "wind-blocks"

B_Skurka said:

I planted 2 of those about 4 years ago? The first year they looked like twigs in the ground. The second year they didn't do much better. Years 3 and 4 were dramatic and they are now 15+' tall with a nice shape and spread.

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Good to know, I hope to fine some soon!

What grows well in your neighbors yards? That's what surprised me the most is that the Norway Maple (tons of them around) grew like crazy. I wasn't really expecting it to be that fast but it has out grown the Hybrid Poplars.

I even dug it up and moved it last year (in August) and it is still growing fast. I did not move it properly. I just dug it up and plopped it in its new location and watered it a bit.

Cherries do amazingly well and so do Apricots but Apples and Pears are slow.

I had the Tulip poplars in tree tubes for the last two years and I don't think they like the tubes. I took them out of the tubes this year and figure if the dear eat them then so be it. They are also a southern tree so I'm not entirely surprised they haven't done well.

PB

My local Craigslist now has a "Gardening" section. It's amazing how many people have big trees they want taken out for free or little money. I'm thinking of renting a mini-excavator for a week and just hauling it around digging up trees. Since you have the backhoe and the trailer you might want to look and see what you can get for a little work.

It's nice to get big trees.

PBinWA said:

My local Craigslist now has a "Gardening" section. It's amazing how many people have big trees they want taken out for free or little money. I'm thinking of renting a mini-excavator for a week and just hauling it around digging up trees. Since you have the backhoe and the trailer you might want to look and see what you can get for a little work.

It's nice to get big trees.

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Why not just go into the woods and get some out? I've successfully pulled 15'+ tall trees out and transplanted.

bczoom said:

Why not just go into the woods and get some out? I've successfully pulled 15'+ tall trees out and transplanted.

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In many states that is illegal. It all depends on who owns the trees.

PBinWA said:

In many states that is illegal. It all depends on who owns the trees.

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Agreed. I "assumed" many of the posters to this thread had some woods of their own.

bczoom said:

Agreed. I "assumed" many of the posters to this thread had some woods of their own.

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I guess I had not even considered digging up one of my own trees and moving it. But to be honest, as I look out the window now, I don't see a lot of "good choices" to transplant anyway. I've got lots of hawthorns and have no desire to move one of those. And most of the others are in dense woods where I'd have to knock down a bunch to get to a good one.

I want to show my wife a picture of the Royal Paulownia (Empress) Trees to see if she likes it. That may do the trick.

What they grow a lot of here in N.C

http://www.oplin.org/tree/fact%20pages/pear_bradford/pear_bradford.html

DZ, those are beautiful trees. We have one in the front yard. Planted it a few years ago. They have a nice form to them, and the blooms are beautiful in the spring.

Bob, 11 threads down from this one titled "A pic for BC/Brian...", they are Bradford Pears in the picture posted during fall. Keep in mind, picture taken in November.

One thing we've learned, Bradford Pears are not the strongest trees. Get heavy winds, they will be the first to be knocked down.

dzalphakilo said:

they will be the first to be knocked down.

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Well that rules this tree out! My wife wants me to plant a tree in the corner of the fenced dog yard to give the dogs some shade. The fence was too expensive to have a tree land on it But that is exactly the type of information I am looking for.

I have a Bradford Pear tree in the backyard that was planted about 5 years ago, and it hasn't grown much. It is in an open area, and it has withstood 65 MPH winds. I know because I have a mini weather station on the top of the house that tells me the kind of winds we get. If it was going to go over, it would have done so by now. I have seen all types of advertising that show great looking trees, but most of them you have to wait half a life time before they will look anything like the pictures. A new home that was built near here had a nursery bring in some large trees and plant them, and they look great. I have no idea of the cost, but it seems that it would be worth it in the end, because if you have to wait for 10 years to get some growth, then it isn't worth the cheap price for the twigs....