The Best Fast-Growing Shade Trees
Trees offer many benefits for humans and our environment, such as clean air, soil preservation, animal shelter and shade. When choosing a fast-growing shade tree, consider your location. Planting a tree native to your area helps ensure that it thrives in the soil and climate; therefore, providing the best possible shade. Does this Spark an idea?
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Southern United States
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A rapid-growing shade tree found in the southern United States and northern Mexico is the cedar elm. Often it is referred to as the red elm or basket elm. An article appearing on the Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry website, written by John J. Stransky and Sylvia M. Bierschenk, states that the cedar elm generally grows best in a moist, limestone soil. However, dry hills covered with limestone also support their growth. The cedar elm is a medium to large growing tree with size ranging from 20 to nearly 98 feet.
When other trees are bare, the live oak remains evergreen throughout the winter months, offering year-round shade. It grows along the coastal south and is the state tree of Georgia. Since it withstands the saltwater spray, this broadest spreading of all oaks offers shade along the coast as well as inland. The live oak generally grows in sandy solids and provides a canopy that shades an area nearly twice its height, which is between 40 and 60 feet.
Coastal Areas
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A fast-growing shade tree that grows well from coast to coast and in the southern region of the United States is the weeping willow. It thrives in a variety of soils, including acidic, dry, moist, rich, sandy and clay. The weeping willow grows to a maximum height of 40 feet. According to the Arbor Day Foundation website, shade from the weeping willow offered shade for Napoleon during his exile on St. Helena, and he was later buried under it.
The fern pine is a native of Africa that grows well in the sandy soil along the southern California coast. It holds its leaves well and offers shade from its massive 50- to 70-foot stature. Full sunlight, or at least six hours of direct sun per day, helps this tree grow faster.
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Northern United States
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When young, the paper birch is a fast-growing tree that provides shade in the northern United States. It grows best in cooler climates and is easy to transplant. The paper birch goes best in soil that is sandy or contains gravel. Slightly acidic soil in well-drained areas provides the best growing environment for the paper birch. It generally reaches its maximum height between 50 and 60 feet.
The common hackberry is native to the northern United States. At maturity, it reaches between 36 and 55 feet. The drooping branches provide shade in the winter and summer for states from Maine to Wyoming.
Helping Shade Trees Grow Faster
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Matching the shade tree with the climate and soil available is imperative for encouraging fast growth. A tree requires sunlight and water to grow properly. When planing a tree, a water ring, or a mound of soil built around the trunk, allows water to collect at the outer edges of the planting hole, encouraging the roots to grow outward, creating a strong base. The Back Yard Gardener's website states that it is best to water your trees during the day or in the evening instead of the morning hours. Also, the site recommends performing a soil test to determine what kind and how much fertilizer your tree needs.
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References
- Eco Kids: Why Plant Trees?
- Northeastern Areas State and Private Forestry; Cedar Elm; John J. Stransky and Sylvia M. Bierschenk
- American Forests; Live Oak: The Ultimate Southerner; Jeff Ball
- University of Florida: Florida Forest Trees
- Arbor Day Foundation: Willow, Weeping
- Back Yard Gardener: Podocarpus Gracilior (Fern Pine)
