Fast growing and evergreen trees for the garden

If a tree grows about one meter per year as a seedling in the first few years, it is said to be growing rapidly. In the case of older trees, increases of around 30 centimeters per year are considered to be growing rapidly. Among the front runners in terms of growth are the deciduous Chinese bell trees, which in the first five years have an impressive two meters in growth per year. Many fast-growing trees are among the pioneering plants that are the first to repopulate bare areas. As a rule, trees that grow very quickly do not get as old as slow-growing species. Fast-growing deciduous trees have a life expectancy of around 120 years, some conifers 400 years. A slowly growing yew tree, on the other hand, can reach a maximum age of 3000 years under optimal conditions.

What does evergreen mean?

We all know the term “summer green”. After all, every year we see how the plants lose their leaves in autumn and then remain bare until the next spring. So the leaves are only green in summer. But not all plants lose their leaves during the cold season.

Evergreen Plants
All plants that keep their leaves (or needles) for several years are called evergreens. In fir trees, the needles can sit on the branch for up to eleven years before they are thrown off. According to the definition, plants are considered to be evergreen if their leaves have been green on the shoot for at least two years. If the leaf or the needles are rejected, the plant will still remain green, because every year it produces the next generation of leaves or needles when they sprout, which remain on the branch for at least two years.

Semi-
evergreen plants This is the name given to all plants that can in principle be evergreen, provided that the climatic conditions (i.e. the weather) play their part. In mild locations or winters these plants stay green, in cold winters they shed their leaves.

Wintergreen plants
Wintergreen plants go green through winter, but shed their leaves in the following year during spring or early summer, only to sprout again a short time later.

Conifers

Conifers, also known as conifers, are attractive all year round, as they are adorned in summer and winter with their green, yellowish or blue needles or scale leaves. Conifers can be found almost everywhere in the world. The most common areas of distribution, however, are areas of the northern hemisphere and high altitudes, where the winters are long and harsh. Many coniferous plants belong to the pioneer plants. They also grow in soils that do not provide sufficient soil conditions for other seed plants.

The growth form and the structure of the crown of conifers differ greatly from that of deciduous trees. While they grow very expansively in the lower area, the shape tapers towards the top. This gradation of the branches results in a conical growth shape and crown in all younger trees – often even into old age. An umbrella-shaped flattening, such as that of a jaw, is only possible at an advanced age.

Spruce (Picea)
Spruce is one of the conifers from the pine family. It is not for nothing that they are of great importance for wood production because of their enormous growth in forestry. Spruces can live up to 600 years and reach heights of over 20 meters (rarely up to 70!). In their branching, they differ greatly from one another depending on the location. If a spruce stands alone, it forms branches that hang down far down to the ground. If it grows together with other tall trees, the lower branches die and only the bare trunk can be seen. Fast growing spruces:

• Norway spruce (Picea abies): the most common type of spruce
• Serbian spruce (Picea omorika): narrower than the common spruce, width only 2-3 meters

Firs (Abies)
The firs also belong to the pine family. But not all fir trees grow quickly. While Korean firs or Nordmann firs only gain height very slowly, other species are significantly faster in their growth. Some species belong to the really large forest trees and develop stature heights of over 50 meters with a trunk thickness of 2-3 meters when they are old. However, this is only possible in forests with very good site conditions. In the garden they reach about half of this maximum height. With an annual growth of up to 60 centimeters, the silver fir is the fastest growing conifer in our forests.

• Koloradotanne (Abies concolor)
• Great silver fir (Abies grandis)
• Weißtanne (Abies alba)

Pines (Pinus)
Pines belong to the most common naturally occurring conifers alongside the spruce. The robust trees have also long been established in the garden. Around 100 different species offer a wide range of sizes and growth forms. Anyone who decides on a pine should definitely pay attention to the right type, because not all pines grow quickly. Awn pines, for example, belong to the very slow-growing species of pine and are therefore not suitable if a handsome tree is expected quickly. Pines feel good on sandy soils and are generally not easy to cut. Fast growing pine species:

• Waldkiefer (Pinus sylvestris)
• Black pine (Pinus nigra)
• Weymouthskiefer (Pinus strobus)

Tip: Conifers like the spruce can get very tall. Before planting, consider whether the tree will not shade the garden too much at some point. Crown pruning in these trees is possible, but leads to an unattractive appearance.

Cedar (Cedrus)
Cedars belong to the genus of the pine family. The trees can reach heights of growth between 30 and 50 meters, have medium annual growth and are very old. With age, the initially pyramid-shaped crown becomes very expansive and the branches can overhang heavily (similar to deciduous trees). In contrast to the spruce or fir, the tree can be limited in growth by cutting the crown, as it does not tend to develop several new crown shoots.

The Himalayan cedar is one of the most beautiful trees of this genus. The tree with the blue-green needles reaches heights of about 20 meters and, with its slightly overhanging branches, offers a wonderful, very densely leafy eye-catcher in the garden. The Himalayan cedar is native to the high altitudes from Nepal to eastern Afghanistan. There it is used to dry and nutrient-poor locations. With us, individual varieties are a bit sensitive to frost and therefore need a sheltered, sunny to partially shaded place in the garden. Fast growing cedar species:

• Atlas-Zeder (Cedrus atlantica)
• Himalaya-Zeder (Cedrus deodara)

Cypresses and Cypress Family (Cupressaceae)
Cypresses are the typical conifers of the Mediterranean area. The cypress family includes the trees of life (thuja), which are popular as hedge plants, but can also represent a wonderful enrichment for a garden in individual positions. Many cypress plants have a slender, tightly upright habit and can become very large with age. However, the plants are well tolerated by pruning. While a few species (such as the thuja) are native to slightly more humid areas, other species such as the juniper get along well with dry soils. Cypresses love the sun and warmth, most cypresses do not tolerate moisture at all.

• Arborvitae (Thuja): popular hedge plant, very robust and hardy, very easy on pruning
• Leyland cypress (Cupressus leylandii): robust tree, very drought-resistant, does not tolerate pruning so well, protect against frost with a thick layer of mulch in winter
• False cypress (Chamaecyparis): grows very quickly, hedges must be pruned frequently, otherwise the vigorous tree can hardly be tamed

Tip: be careful! Anyone who thinks that all conifers are evergreen is on the wrong track. There are also conifers that lose their needles in winter. There is only one species in Germany: the larch.

Deciduous trees

Evergreen deciduous trees can be distinguished from conifers or conifers in that their leaves have many leaf veins. The leaves of trees that keep their leaves in winter must be resistant to frosts, which is why the leaves are usually harder and thicker than those of deciduous deciduous trees. Evergreen deciduous trees that grow quickly and reach stately heights are rare here. Most of the evergreen trees that we have come under the category of “large shrubs or smaller trees”. Even the deciduous tree species designated as evergreen will probably only be semi-evergreen in most locations in Germany, as most winters are very cold. Other trees and shrubs that we love in our gardens because of their permanent foliage, such as rhododendron or ilex (holly), usually grow very slowly.
Fast growing, evergreen smaller trees (large shrubs):

Firethorn (Pyracantha)
The different firethorn species grow as evergreen shrubs or trees with heavily thorny branches. The yellow, orange or red berries that adorn the plants from autumn to early spring are striking. As a rule, a firethorn reaches a height of around 4-6 meters. However, the woody plants are very easy on pruning, so that they can be pruned at any time. A firethorn needs a sunny to partially shaded location with humus-rich, well-drained garden soil and is very hardy. Growth per year: 30-50 cm.

• Orange glow: many white flowers in May, bright orange fruits, up to four meters tall
• Red Column: white flowers in spring, strong red fruits, up to six meters high

Cherry laurel / Laurel laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
The most common evergreen and fast-growing wood that grows in our gardens is the cherry laurel. Usually, however, it is severely trimmed back as a hedge, so that hardly anyone knows it as a sprawling tree. However, if you leave some types of vigorous growth to their own devices, stately trees can grow in a short time that can reach heights of up to seven meters when they are old. Laurel cherries are very hardy, require almost no maintenance and otherwise make little demands on their location and soil. The varieties are particularly strong:

• Green Survival: heights of up to three meters
• Macrophylla: up to four meters in height
• Novita: Plant height 2-3 meters, very frost hardy

Evergreen to semi-evergreen trees:

Camellia (Camellia japonica)
Camellias from the tea shrub family are native to East Asia and are a popular ornamental plant as an alternative to roses in our gardens. They form beautiful flowers in spring and also grow very quickly. Contrary to popular belief, some very hardy varieties are also available in stores. Although these species do not like long-term frosts below minus 14 degrees, the frostbite usually grows out again very quickly in these harder varieties. With good care, the trees can reach a height of over 10 meters and a thick trunk with a spreading crown. These trees are an absolute eye-catcher, especially in spring, when thousands of flowers (white, pink, dark red) appear. Sheltered places in the garden with partial shade offer good conditions.

Evergreen trees:

If you really want to plant an evergreen large deciduous tree in your garden, you will have a hard time. Wintergreen trees, which keep their leaves green on the branches at least until about January or February, offer a real alternative.

Evergreen oak / wintergreen oak (Quercus turneri Pseudoturneri)
Like the other oaks, the evergreen oak belongs to the beech family. It is a cross between the English oak (the most common German oak species) and the stone oak. The stone oak is an evergreen species from the Mediterranean region, but in our latitudes it does not manage to keep its leaves in winter. By crossing the two species, it was possible to create a hardy evergreen oak.

But an evergreen oak isn’t always green. Although it keeps its green leaves over the winter and is therefore a wonderful eye-catcher in the garden, it sheds its leaves about every two years at the beginning of the new year (January / February). However, it begins to sprout again as early as March. Perhaps a nice alternative to conifers, especially when planted in the company of other evergreen oaks as a grove. The tree also develops particularly lusciously when it is planted in the wind-protected penumbra of spruce trees. Other evergreen species, which also have a slightly corky bark, are cultivars from Quercus hispanica:

• Ambrozyana
• fulhamensis
• Lucombeana

Tip: Privet is also fast growing, but it is only evergreen and loses its leaves in spring.

Conclusion
While there are many trees among the conifers and conifers that decorate the garden in a short time (at a considerable height) with their evergreen coniferous dress, the selection among the deciduous trees is rather sparse. Although some woody plants such as cherry laurel, camellia or firethorn can also be found with tree-like growth forms, only very few species get a really tree-typical, single and thick trunk. Other deciduous trees that grow quickly aren’t actually evergreen, just evergreen. But planting is always worth a try, especially in sheltered locations and in warmer locations.