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Popular for its symmetrical shape and beautiful blue needles, the Colorado Blue Spruce lives up to its name as it displays a vibrant blue hue among the forests of their native region in the Rocky Mountains. For decades, lovers of this spruce have searched for ways to speed up the growth to harness this same beauty to display in their own yards.

Tending to the basic everyday needs of your blue spruce is the best way to encourage faster growth. At least one inch of water per week, six hours of full sunlight per day, and shallow soil acidic in nature are the simplest ways to send your blue spruce towering towards the sky.

Simply said, there is no secret serum to make your blue spruce grow faster. There are, however, simple tips and tricks to ensure that your blue spruce is reaching its fullest potential!

How Long Does It Actually Take For A Blue Spruce To Grow?

From seed to sapling, the growth of the blue spruce is slow. It’s actually one of the slowest starting conifers in the ground, but not the slowest growing. As the blue spruce starts to mature, the growth starts to accelerate. 

On average, a blue spruce grows at a slow to medium rate inching upwards at 12 to 24 inches per year.

At this rate, the blue spruce requires 5 to 10 years to reach just 10 feet, usually maxing out around 60 feet in just 30 to 60 years.

In the forest, the blue spruce can grow as tall as 75 to 100 feet thriving in the rocky, mountainous terrain. Old-growth spruce forests are home to spruce trees ranging from 200-600 years old.

It is important to note that there are a few different varieties of the blue spruce, and some are genetically grown to max out at smaller heights. If your blue spruce seems to have maxed out on height, it is possible that you have one of the other types of blue spruce trees growing in your yard, such as the Fat Albert Spruce!

For the spruce in your yard, the growth and age also tend to be slower and younger because of the environment around it. It’s no secret that the Colorado Blue Spruce grows best in the mountains of Colorado! 

It may even take close to 20 years for the spruce tree in your yard to start bearing cones.

So, how exactly can you make your blue spruce grow faster? 

Growth Requirements and Growth Rates For Blue Spruce

Types of Blue Spruces	Water Requirement	Light Requirement	Soil Preference	Growth Rate	Average Annual Growth	Mature Height in Landscape
Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)	Moist, drained	Full Sun	6.8-7.2	Medium	12 to 24 inches	30 to 60 feet
Lucretia Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens ‘Lucretia’)	Moist, drained	Full Sun	5.5-7.1	Slow	2 to 3 inches	2 to 6 feet
Weeping Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens ‘Pendula’)	Moist, drained	Full sun	5.1-7.3	Medium	12 or more inches	30 to 60 feet
Fat Albert Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens ‘Fat Albert’)	Moist, drained	Full sun	5.5-7.1	Medium	12 or more inches	10 to 15 feet

If the blue spruce in your yard has been growing for decades and still hasn’t reached its mature height, follow this chart and post religiously to ensure your blue spruce is properly taken care of.

This chart will help your blue spruce grow beyond its years when followed from seed to sapling and from sapling to tree!

Ways To Make Your Blue Spruce Grow Faster

To make your blue spruce grow faster, it is important to plant your spruce in the proper place – an open area at least 20 feet from any structure with full sun exposure and in well-drained acidic soil, preferably in a place with regular rainfall.

If your spruce is properly planted, receiving enough sunlight and water, and still needs a little boost, fertilizing, mulching, and pruning are a few other ways to accelerate the growth of your blue spruce.

It is also important to note that sudden temperature changes can stunt the growth of your blue spruce, so depending on the area you live in, greatly depends on the speed your blue spruce grows. Mulching can help eliminate this problem!

If you think that the climate you live in is not optimal for blue spruce, don’t be discouraged. There are still ways to grow this little piece of the mountains around your home. 

Studies have shown that starting your blue spruce in a container and exceeding their daily needs while they’re young can greatly influence their rate of growth and health once you plant them in the ground. The nursery you pick your blue spruce from is important!

OR you can continue to container-grow your blue spruce and make it your next Christmas tree!

But even if your blue spruce is already growing in your yard, you’ll still find all of the simple tips you need to speed up the growth of your blue spruce below!

1. Lots of Sunlight Will Help Your Blue Spruce Grow Faster

Spruce trees love sunlight. If there’s only one simple tip to take away from this entire post, it would be this one right here. Well, I mean, the rest of them are important too.

Blue spruce trees require at least six hours of sunlight per day. They’d be happy if they had sunlight all day long, and they would even grow faster.

Like most plants green and growing, the blue spruce uses the energy from the sun as its own external energy source. Without enough energy, your spruce will simply grow slower. But that’s obvious, right? Proper energy and nutrition are necessary to keep your body and your blue spruce growing.

Although they can tolerate some shade, the blue spruce needs full sun to reach its top growth potential.

Bright sunlight even allows the colors of your blue spruce to develop more vibrantly.

If the canopy of other trees around your home is not allowing your blue spruce to receive full sun for at least half the day, it is time to consider thinning the trees around your spruce.

2. Water Your Blue Spruce Often To Speed Up Growth

Watering your blue spruce regularly is also an important factor in speeding up the growth of your tree. A typical blue spruce requires at least one inch of water per week but thrives with moist soil that penetrates and remains moist at least two inches down.

The soil beneath your blue spruce should be well-drained and allow even moisture throughout.

Blue spruce will not do well in standing water, so be sure to plant your blue spruce in an area that is not prone to flooding.

A climate with an average annual rainfall of 18 to 24 inches per year is adequate for fast-growing spruce. Blue spruce trees are more drought tolerant than any other spruce, but still prefer their fair share of water to grow at their best.

Promote the growth of your blue spruce by watering it in times of drought… even if it does have some drought resistance.

In their natural habitat, you’ll find that blue spruce trees grow along streams and river banks near the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. This is because the blue spruce requires constant water to tower upwards at faster rates.

3. Mulch Around Your Blue Spruce To Promote Faster Growth

In areas common to drought, or even as an extra safety net to promote faster growth, consider mulching around the base of your blue spruce.

It is recommended that you mulch your blue spruce directly after planting to help your tree become established and further its growth later on.

By applying two to four inches of mulch around your blue spruce, you allow the moisture to retain and reach the root of your tree. Mulching around your spruce tree will also promote overall soil health and nutrition. 

Mulch also reduces the growth of weeds around your spruce tree which will absorb nutrients and water from your blue spruce, slowing its growth.

Simply said, applying mulch at the base of your blue spruce will help it grow faster.

4. Test Your Soil To Ensure Your Blue Spruce Can Properly Grow

Also found in the Rocky Mountain terrain, home to the Colorado Blue Spruce, is rocky, acidic soil. To help your blue spruce grow properly, and faster, it is important that the soil beneath your tree is acidic.

For any blue spruce, the soil pH should range anywhere from 5.1-7.8 sliding between acidic and neutral. Find a happy medium between those numbers to speed up the growth of your blue spruce.

A happy tree is a fast-growing tree!

If you’re unsure what the soil is like beneath your spruce tree, you can easily test your own at home! This Digital Soil pH Meter by BioLogic makes testing your soil at home quick and simple!

Simply place the meter in the soil near your spruce tree and wait for the numbers to appear. If they fall between 5.1 and 7.8, the soil for your blue spruce is perfect.

However, if the numbers do not fall between them, it is time to amend the soil around your blue spruce. You can add compost, coffee grounds, or fertilizer to your soil to increase its acidity. After fixing the soil, you’ll watch your blue spruce grow faster!

If you already know that your soil is acidic and your blue spruce still isn’t growing to its fullest potential, it is possible that your blue spruce is planted too deep in the soil.

The Utah State University Cooperative Extension found that 80% of struggling spruce trees submitted were diagnosed with environmental stress due to deep planting or drought stress.

A spruce tree develops well when planted shallowly, allowing the roots to travel easily through rocky terrains. Even when planted in your yard, it is important to not plant them deeply in the soil to allow them to mimic their natural habitat.

The best way to produce any healthy houseplant, tree, or shrub, is to mimic nature to the best of your ability.

Your blue spruce tree will grow faster if you cater to its simplest needs and resemble its rocky nature whenever possible.

5. Fertilizing Your Blue Spruce Will Help It Grow Faster

If your green thumb is the most vibrant it can be, and you’re still looking to help your blue spruce grow faster, perhaps it’s time to spread some fertilizer around your spruce tree.

Fertilizing your blue spruce can be simple! Simply add compost beneath your blue spruce and as it gradually amends the soil, your blue spruce will gradually adapt to a faster growth rate.

I have found that the best fertilizer outside of compost is Espoma Organic Evergreen-Tone which is an all-natural fertilizer that supports acidity and promotes overall growth. This fertilizer contains the minerals and bacteria necessary to keep your spruce thriving!

This fertilizer is easy and ready to use! It is recommended that you feed twice a year in the early spring and late fall.

It is important to note that your blue spruce must already be established (beyond its sapling years) to produce the best results.

6. Prune Lightly To Encourage Blue Spruce Growth

Often overlooked, pruning is essential to promote proper growth.

The blue spruce is naturally symmetric, which is often what its beauty is known for, but it still requires some light pruning to create beautiful, dense foliage.

If your blue spruce was properly planted – at least 20 feet from structures, far from other trees, and placed for full sunlight, then it requires very little pruning.

Your blue spruce, however, will respond well to light pruning allowing the foliage to become denser. Pruning the tips of older trees (not young ones!) will inspire growth from lateral branches.

Pruning young trees can stunt the overall growth, so let your sapling be!

It is possible that the most pruning your blue spruce will ever need is simply removing the broken or dead branches. This is actually super important.

By removing dead or broken branches, your blue spruce is able to place its energy elsewhere, such as in its growth instead of expelling energy on useless branches.

Not only will the aesthetic and airflow of your blue spruce improve, but so will its growth.

There are many small things that your blue spruce can be placing its energy into that is unnecessary and stopping your tree from growing faster.

Technically, you can follow 6 simple steps to keep your blue spruce small, if you prefer it that way.

7. Check Your Blue Spruce Often To Remove Pests

More often than not, if your blue spruce is not looking its usual blue color or growing as fast as you’d like, it is possible that your blue spruce is being invaded. Bagworms and spider mites are common pests that slow the growth of your tree.

If you find any bagworms (brown cocoon-like bags hanging off the branches), remove them by hand immediately. Once they hatch in June, it’s game over if there are too many of them.

Usually, signs of pests are signs of environmental stress. Underwatering, soil compaction, competition, root damage, and other outside factors can be the underlying factor of these new invaders.

It is important that you check your blue spruce often for any signs of pests, stress, and damage to ensure proper growth. Catching and solving the problem at the root will prove to be more effective over time.

Freeing your blue spruce from these annoyances is just another simple trick to speeding up the growth of your spruce tree.

8. Avoid Transplanting Your Blue Spruce To Speed Up Growth

When planting your blue spruce, it is important that you choose an adequate spot from the start. Plan and prepare, weighing out your options and locations before ever planting your tree.

Although blue spruce trees are relatively easy to transplant because of their shallow roots, they do not respond well to transplanting sometimes even years after.

It is highly recommended that you amend the soil and environment around your blue spruce before weighing the option to transplant it.

However, if you absolutely must transplant your blue spruce to kickstart its growth journey, it is best to transplant it in late winter or early spring. If you transplant your blue spruce in the summer, the needles will turn brown, and the tree will not survive.

Also, transplanting your blue spruce while the young shoots are showing signs of growth will damage the development of your blue spruce overall.

Honestly, there are more cons than pros when deciding whether or not you should transplant your blue spruce. If you’re looking for it to grow faster, transplanting is not the answer.

Wrapping Up!

Remember, a happy tree is a fast-growing tree! If you’re looking to send your blue spruce soaring, be sure to cover their basic needs and then some.

One of the benefits of blue spruces is that they are incredibly good at telling you when they are happy or not. For instance, if your spruce is turning red, or is starting to have droopy needles, you know it is time to help it out!

The time you put into caring for your blue spruce will be in direct proportion to its growth journey. Grandma was right when she said talking to the plants helps them grow faster – a little extra love and care go a long way!

These are the most simple tips to make your blue spruce grow faster:

• Your blue spruce needs 6 hours of sunlight per day, allowing them to grow in full sunlight will make them grow faster.
• Provide at least one inch of water per week, two is best!
• Apply two to four inches of mulch around your blue spruce.
• Test your soil and be sure it falls between 5.1-7.8 pH.
• Fertilize your blue spruce twice a year!
• Lightly prune your blue spruce, ensuring there are no broken branches in sight.
• Check your blue spruce often for pests and signs of stress.
• Avoid transplanting your blue spruce; amend the soil instead!

And just remember that growth takes time! 

References

Bongarten, B. C., & Hanover, J. W. (1985). Accelerating seedling growth through photoperiod extension for genetic testing: a case study with blue spruce (Picea pungens). Forest science, 31(3), 631-643.

Erhart, E., & Hartl, W. (2003). Mulching with compost improves growth of blue spruce in Christmas tree plantations. European Journal of Soil Biology, 39(3), 149-156.

Hanover, J. W. (1975). Genetics of blue spruce (Vol. 28). Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture.

Tinus, R. W. (1974, August). Characteristics of seedlings with high survival potential. In Proc, North American Containerized Forest Tree Seedling Symposium. Publ (Vol. 68, p. 276â).

Wenny, D. L. (1990). Spruce Seedlings.

Young, E., & Hanover, J. W. (1978). Effects of temperature, nutrient, and moisture stresses on dormancy of blue spruce seedlings under continuous light. Forest Science, 24(4), 458-467.

Do you want a unique indoor tree? Are you also incredibly impatient? Don’t fret! We’ve got just the list for you.

Some of the fastest-growing indoor trees include the fiddle leaf fig, rubber tree, yucca tree, money tree, and bird of paradise. Some of these trees require a daily misting to increase humidity, while others love for their soil to dry out completely. Any of these trees would be a great choice!

Keep reading to explore the world of fast-growing indoor trees!

What Are The Most Common Indoor Tree Varieties?

The most common fast-growing indoor tree varieties include:

• Fiddle leaf fig
• Rubber tree
• Yucca tree
• Majesty palm
• Kumquat
• Umbrella tree
• Money tree
• Bamboo
• Bird of paradise

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Surprisingly, the fiddle leaf fig is in the mulberry family. It comes from west Africa and, in the wild, grows in tropical rainforests. In their native habitat, fiddle leaf figs can reach 50 feet tall!

They get their name because their leaves look like fiddles. They have a thick texture with prominent veins.

Fiddle leaf figs are used ornamentally in tropical and subtropical gardens, but can also be grown indoors in more temperate climates. 

Fiddle leaf figs are, well, finicky! If you’re working on your green thumb, this is a tree that requires a lot of careful attention and intuition.

What Does A Fiddle Leaf Fig Need To Thrive?

Fiddle leaf figs need well-lit locations. Under the right conditions, they can grow to be incredibly large, up to 10 feet indoors! 

But if they’re grown incorrectly they’ll become leggy, have a dull color, and just generally look unhappy. If you don’t have a bright room where they can thrive, you may want to rethink this particular tree. 

Likewise, fiddle leaf figs aren’t fans of drafts. So even if you place them by a sunny window- old, poorly-insulated windows can ruin the plan.

Be sure to use porous soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. This range promotes the best nutrient uptake and availability for the fiddle leaf fig.

You can propagate fiddle leaf figs via division, air layering, or stem cuttings.

Rubber Tree

The rubber tree originates from the Amazon basin, although now lives in the wild pantropically. Rubber trees are vital to the economy because their leaves’ extract produces natural rubber.

Rubber trees can reach up to 140 feet in the wild, but are of course much smaller in indoor cultivation.

Rubber plants are known for their beautiful, multicolor leaves that almost appear to be painted. Colors vary from dark green to deep purple to cream. Rubber trees are great plants for beginners and thrive in many conditions.

What Will Help A Rubber Tree Grow Best?

They can grow up to over 10 feet tall indoors, but you can also prune them if you want a smaller tree.

Rubber plants do best with bright light, but will tolerate low light as well.

Water thoroughly, but let the soil dry out between waterings. The pot must have good drainage. Empty extra water out of the saucer after watering.

Fertilize often with a houseplant fertilizer in the spring and summer- as often as every two weeks! If your plant is receiving less light, don’t fertilize quite as often.

It’s not a bad idea to support your rubber tree with a stake.

Yucca Tree

Yucca is actually a genus of plants with almost 50 species and (to be exact) 24 subspecies! 

They cover a very large portion of the Americas, from Mexico to Guatemala to California and the southwest. You can even find yuccas as far north as southern Canada!

Not only that, but they’re also native to the coastlands of the southeast.

Yucca trees are impossible to mistake due to their leaves that readily resemble swords. While some yucca have leaves reaching up to 2 feet long, larger yucca can have 4-foot-long leaves! 

What Conditions Does A Yucca Tree Need?

Yuccas do okay with low humidity and temperatures, but they need a lot of light when grown indoors.

Potting mix needs to be strong enough to support their canes but light enough to be full of aeration. An example is a 3:1 mixture of peat:sand. Yucca trees do best with pH levels between 5.5 and 6.5.

Yucca Moths

According to a study found in Ecological Entomology of the Royal Entomological Society, yuccas have a very interesting relationship with their pollinators. They are specifically pollinated by “yucca moths”.

Yucca moths bring pollen from the stamen of one yucca to the stigma of another yucca. Meanwhile, they lay an egg in the flower. 

Next, the moth eats some of the seeds but leaves enough for the yucca to continue its lifecycle.

Interestingly, some yucca moths have turned the tables and evolved to continue to use the yucca’s flowers as protection…without pollinating in return!

Majesty Palm

The majesty palm is native to Madagascar and can grow to be almost 100 feet in the wild. (Are you sensing a theme here? Even though these plants grow enormous outdoors, they can be kept in a smaller size in your home!)

Although the majesty palm is becoming harder and harder to come by in its natural habitat, it is widely grown as an indoor tree where it can reach just a tenth of its potential size.

The majesty palm is one of the harder palms to grow indoors, as it requires humidity, lots of light, and regular moisture. This plant is not exactly beginner-friendly, to say the least!

What Does A Majesty Palm Need?

To successfully grow a majesty palm indoors you need a bright corner, lots of water, and minimal fertilizer. 

Majesty palms like soils as acidic as 5.0. According to the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, majesty palms do best in typical potting mixes combined with peat. Good drainage is mandatory!

The lower leaves of your palm will drop if the soil dries out too much between waterings.

If you live somewhere where the humidity drops in the winter, consider getting a humidifier and misting your plant every day.

Funnily enough, cacti fertilizer mixes work well for majesty palms. We’ve had a lot of luck with the Espoma Organic Cactus! Plant Food.

Kumquat

Kumquats are native to tropical regions where they’re used to heat, high humidity, and slightly acidic soil.

Because of this, they need a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight, although they do best with up to 10 hours. 

Put your kumquat tree by the brightest window in your home and rotate it every week so all the leaves get the same amount of sunlight. Don’t be afraid to bring your plant outdoors during the summer so it gets all the sun it needs!

To get your kumquat tree to branch, prune above leaf nodes. This is a general rule of thumb for most plants!

Be ready to hand-pollinate your trees in lieu of bees and butterflies. Be very careful and gentle, using a paintbrush, makeup brush, or q-tip.

What Does A Kumquat Need To Succeed?

If you don’t have enough natural light through a window, supplemental artificial light may be required. Your grow light should be about a foot above your tree and left on for 12 hours each day. 

The Yadoker LED Growing Light for Indoor Plants is a good grow light that lots of people use for citrus trees! 

Surprisingly, kumquats have a wide range of temperature tolerance, with anything from 55 to 85 degrees F being sufficient. Avoid having air conditioners or heaters blow directly onto your tree to avoid temperature fluctuation. Likewise, be wary of drafty windows.

Kumquats like moist (but not wet or soggy) soil. When your soil has dried out two inches below the surface, that’s a good indicator that your tree needs to be watered again. A citrus-specific fertilizer is your best bet.

Umbrella Tree

The umbrella tree is native to Taiwanese forests and can reach up to 30 feet in height outdoors. It usually maxes out at around 10 feet indoors. 

You can also get dwarf umbrella trees that are well-loved among bonsai enthusiasts.

Umbrella plants enjoy bright and indirect light, although in medium/low light they just tend to grow more slowly and can get to be quite leggy. 

What Does My Umbrella Tree Need To Thrive?

While humidity doesn’t affect their growth much, dry air makes umbrella plants more susceptible to spider mites and scale.

Umbrella trees do best growing in a mix of potting soil and a lot of peat moss. They need good drainage and should be repotted every couple of years during the springtime months.

Water deeply when the soil dries out, and then let it dry out again before another watering. They can withstand dry spells more than they can withstand wet soil. Be sure to empty the saucer after you water!

Depending on how large your umbrella tree grows, it may benefit from being staked.

Money Tree

The money tree got its name from an interesting tale. A poor man prayed to have more money. He found an interesting-looking plant, took it home, and eventually became rich by selling the plants that he grew from its seeds!

The money tree can grow up to 60 feet in the wild. It’s native to Central and South America where it traditionally can be found in swamps. 

Its species name, P. aquatica, means “aquatic” in Latin.

Money trees grow well as ornamental plants in tropical regions. They need bright light but suffer in direct sunlight, as the leaves burn quite easily. Rotate your money tree on occasion so that all leaves are provided equal amounts of light.

You can often find money trees for sale that have braided trunks, a tradition that can be traced back to the mid-1980s in Taiwan.

Although we’re talking about the fastest-growing indoor trees, it’s worth noting that, according to Penn State’s Urbane Jungle blog, the money tree can be as small as 20 cm tall when trained as a bonsai. 

What Does A Money Tree Need In Order To Grow Best?

Money trees actually thrive in dry soil, although they don’t like dry air and should be misted every day. Potting mix designed for succulents and cacti will suffice, made of peat moss, river sand, and vermiculite. 

These porous, aerating materials let water pass quickly and easily through the growing medium and also prevent root rot.

Large money trees require repotting every couple of years to avoid becoming rootbound as their roots grow in size to support the quickly-growing tree.

Feel free to prune your money tree with sharp shears in order to shape it to your liking, and you can keep braiding the stems of your tree until they eventually become too stiff to do so.

Who knows, maybe growing a money tree will bring some good fortune your way!

Bamboo

There are 7,000-year-old scriptures recounting the usage of bamboo in books, construction, and more. This is an important plant! Sometimes it is even used to make paper!

While technically not a tree, we’re including it on this list because it’s commonly grown and used in the same ways that trees are. It’s also one of the most rapidly growing plants in the entire world!

Some species in the wild can grow as quickly as 1 ½ inches every hour, according to Guinness World Records!

Bamboo is believed to have originated in China and, through evolution, transformed from prehistoric grasses into the bamboo we know and love today. 

Bamboo needs the greenest of thumbs to thrive indoors, but it’s certainly possible with enough know-how, patience, and attention to detail.

How Can I Keep Bamboo Alive Indoors?

Bamboo needs a lot of moisture, so misting daily is a must. This is extra important when winter heat units dry the air out further. Humidifiers aren’t a bad idea either!

Ideally, bamboo would get indirect, bright natural light all day long. A couple of hours of direct sun will do wonders. More sun equals faster growth!

Bamboo needs impeccable drainage so that the soil dries out quickly and has good aeration. You should also place gravel at the bottom of the pot as a precautionary measure to fully avoid the soil from coming into contact with potential water that pools up in the saucer.

Your bamboo soil should never be soggy after watering. Let the top couple of inches dry out before you water it again. But the soil a few inches down should be slightly moist all the time.

Open windows are good for bamboo to increase airflow.

A 14-14-14 slow-release fertilizer is perfect for growing bamboo indoors.

Bird of Paradise

Can you guess how the bird of paradise got its name? It has stunning flowers that look so similar to birds that you have to do a double-take!

According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the bird of paradise is a vital source of nectar for birds in the wild. The bird of paradise is native to South Africa, although it has been naturalized in tropical areas around the world such as Florida and Hawaii.

A fun fact is that the bird of paradise is the official flower of Los Angeles!

Upon first glance, the bird of paradise tree resembles a banana tree when not in bloom. But a trained eye can tell the difference. Even when not in bloom, these trees provide a tropical atmosphere that is perfect for certain interior designs.

An important thing to keep in mind is that bird of paradise seedlings and pups will take multiple years before flowering, and even then, they need the perfect conditions to produce blooms. So don’t be afraid to buy a full-sized bird of paradise that’s already in bloom!

How Do I Take Care Of A Bird Of Paradise?

The bird of paradise does best with well-draining soil that’s rich in humus (organic matter). Be sure to maintain its root ball at the top of your soil because planting too deeply can prevent future blooms.

Interestingly enough, the bird of paradise is actually more inclined to bloom when it’s potbound because it hates when its roots are disturbed.

Fastest Growing Indoor Trees Ranked: Complete Growth Chart

Tree	Annual Growth	Lifespan	Full Height	Best Place To Grow
Fiddle leaf fig	2′	25-50 years	10′	Well-lit, away from drafty windows
Rubber tree	2′	100 years	6-10′	Bright or low light
Yucca tree	2′	20 years	1-30′	Wide area for large leaves, well-lit
Majesty palm	1′	10 years	3-5′	Well-lit, humid
Kumquat	2′	50 years	10′	Bright window or under artificial lights, away from air conditioners or heaters
Umbrella tree	1′	25 years	8-10′	Bright, indirect light with some humidity
Money tree	2′	10-15 years	8′	Bright, indirect light, humid
Bamboo	3′	10 years	5-8′	Bright, indirect light, humid
Bird of paradise	2′	50-150 years	6′	Bright, indirect light

Which Indoor Tree Should I Grow In My Home?

Let’s talk about different reasons you may want an indoor tree, and which tree best fits the occasion!

To Be A Statement Piece

The bird of paradise is easily the best statement piece out of all the trees discussed.

The bright-colored petals truly look like tropical birds, bringing a piece of paradise into your living room.

You’ll feel like you’re in the middle of a tropical rainforest with its large, banana-shaped leaves and exotic flowers!

For A Lazy Gardener

Rubber trees are great for lazy gardeners or for people whose thumbs are…well…not so green.

They’re tolerant of a wide variety of conditions such as high or low light levels, and can even grow up to 10 feet tall with little upkeep!

Although this isn’t completely a plant-it-and-forget-about-it tree, as you should fertilize it every 2 weeks during the growing season for best results, it doesn’t have intensive water needs and is hard to mess up.

As A Challenge

Kumquats require a little more upkeep than some of the other trees we’ve discussed, but the challenge is well worth it.

They need up to 10 hours of bright light (or supplemental lighting), need to be rotated frequently, can’t be by air conditioners or heaters, and even need to be hand pollinated!

That being said, growing your own kumquats indoors is an incredibly rewarding journey that you won’t regret!

Giving As A Gift

The money tree is easily the best tree to give as a gift.

Along with a little note about the tale behind the money tree’s reputation, this thoughtful gift is great for anyone in your life who’s a little superstitious.

If the person you’re gifting to is incredibly logical, however, they may enjoy bamboo more. The fact that bamboo is essentially prehistoric grass is sure to grab any intellectual’s attention, so be sure to let them know!

To Feel Tropical

A lot of the trees we’ve talked about will provide a tropical atmosphere to any room. Majesty palms, kumquats, and birds of paradise are all great options if you’re looking to bring some of the tropics indoors.

Truth be told, none of these trees are great for beginners (unless they’re very stubborn, determined, and educated). 

A good workaround solution to this dilemma is buying a tree that’s already very established so that you’re off to a good start before you even begin!

Common Indoor Tree Pests

Let’s take a look at some common indoor tree pests.

Aphids

One common indoor tree pest is aphids. Aphids may be reaching your plants by:

• Catching a ride on other plants
• A preexisting infestation
• Excessive nitrogen
• Clinging to your clothing
• Entering through a window
• It’s their favorite time of year

Some ways to get rid of aphids include:

• Removing aphids from leaves
• Treating your tree with extracts or chemicals
• Using sticky traps
• Checking your trees frequently
• Isolating infested plants
• Spray with oils as a preventative measure
• Use low-nitrogen fertilizers
• Only opening windows that have screens
• Changing your clothes after working outdoors

Pill Bugs

What we call “pill bugs” are what you likely called “roly-polies” as a kid playing outdoors. They’re nocturnal isopods that originate from Europe and have become invasive worldwide.

To remove pill bugs from your potted plants:

• Wait them out
• Dry them out
• Change the soil
• Use a potato trap
• Increase the heat near your tree
• Use a dehumidifier 
• Use a fan

Scale

Scale is common on leafy trees, unfortunate for us indoor tree lovers. 

Here are some things that we can learn about scale:

• It loves to spread to other plants
• Scale infestations spread when they’ve finished with one plant
• They spread by crawling or attaching to old pots that you might use again

To avoid the spread of scale, you can:

• Isolate infested plants
• Treat and prune infected plants
• Wash old pots before use
• Inspect old soil before you use it again
• Avoid insecticides

Leaf Beetle

The Lily Leaf Beetle is an invasive insect originating from Europe that can devastate gardens and houseplants.

To get rid of leaf beetle larvae:

• Remove eggs by hand
• Spray them off in the shower or with a hose
• Use castile soap
• Use dish soap
• Use neem oil
• Use a sticky trap in your potting soil

That’s A Wrap!

The fastest-growing indoor trees are:

• Fiddle leaf fig
• Rubber tree
• Yucca tree
• Majesty palm
• Kumquat
• Umbrella tree
• Money tree
• Bamboo
• Bird of paradise

Many, but not all, of these trees grow in tropical environments. 

Nearly all of them enjoy bright, indirect light.

If you would rather grow a tree that produces fruit, make sure to try one of the easiest fruit trees that grow indoors (and where to put them!)

References

Lesniewicz, P. (2021). Indoor Bonsai. Cassell.

Gawrońska, H., & Bakera, B. (2015). Phytoremediation of particulate matter from indoor air by Chlorophytum comosum L. plants. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 8(3), 265-272.

Pine trees are a common tree associated with the holidays and winter, but these handsome plants provide interest all year long with different-colored barks, pine cones, and needles. It’s always exciting to plant a new tree, but it can be frustrating waiting for it to grow.

The fastest-growing pine trees include Loblolly, Canary Island, Eastern White, and Jack Pine. These grow 2 feet or more per year. A few more quick-growing pines include Austrian, Scotch, Lodgepole, Ponderosa, Mondell, and Japanese Black pine, all of which grow between 1 and 2 feet per year.

Below, we’ll go over which pine trees grow the fastest, where they grow, and what kind of conditions they need to reach their full potential.

What Are Pine Trees?

Pine trees are often confused with other evergreen trees such as hemlock, fir, and spruce. It’s understandable and can be difficult to tell them apart. I remember as a kid I called everything with needles a pine tree! 

A few distinct characteristics separate pine trees from other evergreen trees:

• Needles: Pine tree needles grow in clusters whereas other evergreens like spruce and fir have single needles attached to the branches.
• Cones: Pine cones are usually more rigid than cones from other evergreens. The scales are hard and rough, while other evergreen cones are smooth and flexible.

These are the two significant differences between pine trees and other evergreens, with the needles being the easiest to identify. 

Pine trees are part of the conifer group and are evergreen, meaning they do not shed their leaves each fall like deciduous trees. 

In general, you will find more pine trees in the northern hemisphere than in the southern. They are very tolerant of the cold as well as high elevations.

The growth rate and height of pine trees vary considerably with each species. The good news is, we’re here to debunk which pine trees grow the fastest and which one is the best for your yard!

Which Pine Trees Will Grow The Fastest In My Yard?

Picking out a new tree for the yard can be an exciting time. It’s not so exciting waiting for them to grow. Whether you’re looking for a statement piece, a way to make your yard more private, or to enjoy the birds and squirrels in your new tree, pine trees are a great choice. 

Below, we’ll check out some of the fastest-growing pine trees. No matter where you live or what kind of conditions you have in your yard, there is a pine tree that’s right for you!

Austrian Pine

Austrian pines start out as cute Christmas-tree-shaped trees and as they grow older they spread out and fill in to make a fantastic landscape tree. As the name suggests, Austrian pines are not native to the United States.

You can expect your Austrian pine tree to survive almost anything nature throws. It is very tolerant of urban conditions, soil type, drought, and water level. That being said, Austrian pines prefer sandy and loamy soil over clay when possible.

• Sun: Austrian pines prefer full sun.
• Hardiness Zone: 3b – 7. Austrian pines prefer cooler climates such as eastern Oregon across to New York and even up into parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
• Maintenance: Austrian pines are tolerant of a variety of conditions, making them relatively low maintenance. They can withstand dry conditions as well as slightly moist conditions.
• Height: 50-60 feet.
• Width: 20-40 feet.
• Growth Rate: Austrian pines have a moderate growth rate, typically growing 1-2 feet per year.

If you want a dense, full-looking tree in your yard, Austrian pine is a good choice. These are best planted in yards where the tree can receive full sun and have plenty of space to become the talking piece of your yard!

If you end up having trouble growing your Austrian pine tree, you can read about why it isn’t growing here.

Scotch Pine

Scotch Pine is another non-native pine that looks beautiful in the yard. Its orange bark makes it even more attractive during the drab months of winter. Scotch Pine does best in well-draining soil such as sandy soils.

Like Austrian pines, Scotch pines start out pyramidal in shape but spread out as they age and have a flatter top at full maturity. Scotch pines are not very tolerant of heat, drought, or flooding.

• Sun: Full sun
• Hardiness Zone: Scotch pine thrives in zones 3a-7, growing best in the same states as the Austrian pine, though Scotch pine can travel a little further north.
• Maintenance: When grown under the right conditions, Scotch pines are low maintenance. However, they can be trouble if planted in areas that receive drought or flooding.
• Height: According to Iowa State University, Scotch Pines can grow between 30 and 60 feet.
• Width: 20 to 40 feet
• Growth Rate: 1 to 2 feet per year.

Scotch pines are a good choice for the yard if you can grow them under their ideal conditions. These lovely pine trees are great as ornamental trees for the yard but aren’t the best for privacy as the branches will thin as the tree ages. Scotch pine comes in a dwarf variety that can be good for gardens or small urban yards.

If you live in an area with porcupines, they will come from all over to munch on your scotch pine. To protect your tree when it is young, consider using a tree guard like UGarden Plant and Tree Guard to keep deer, porcupines, and other troublesome critters from destroying your prized pine tree.

Loblolly Pine

Also known as Bull Pine and Oldfield Pine, the Loblolly Pine has a very straight trunk with an overall oval shape at maturity. These massive trees differ from most pines as they prefer poorly-drained soils.

Loblolly pines prefer warmer climates and do not do well in areas with cold winters. If you’re looking for a fast-growing pine, this is it! According to North Carolina State University, Loblolly pines are the fastest-growing pine species.

• Sun: Like most pines, Loblollies prefer full sun.
• Hardiness Zone: 6b through 9a. This includes areas from around North Carolina down to northern Florida and across to northern Arizona.
• Maintenance: Low
• Height: 60-90 feet
• Width: 20-40 feet
• Growth Rate: Loblolly pines grow fast, typically greater than 2 feet per year.

Loblolly pines are used more for timber than for landscaping, but if you want the fastest-growing pine, loblolly is the way to go! Just be sure to plant this tree away from your home if you live in areas that are commonly plagued with wildfires.

Since loblolly pines are more accustomed to southern climates, they may have problems with nutrient deficiencies. According to an article in the Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, most southern soils have Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorous (P) deficiencies. 

In this case, consider using a fertilizer such as Scotts Evergreen Flowering Tree & Shrub Continuous Release Plant Food. This will help keep your loblolly healthy and growing!

Lodgepole Pine

Lodgepole pines are one of the most adaptive pine trees on our list. They do just fine in water-logged soil as they do in dry conditions. These pines are tall and slender, making them great ornamental trees but a poor choice for a privacy barrier between you and your neighbor.

If you live in an area with wildfires, just know that lodgepole pines are not fire-tolerant. Otherwise, these trees can be planted on rocky slopes just as readily as in coastal regions.

• Sun: Full sun
• Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8. You’ll find more lodgepole pines in the western half of the United States than in the eastern. They’re common in such states as Colorado, Utah, California, Oregon, and Washington.
• Maintenance: Low
• Height: There are a few different varieties of lodgepole pine, with the tallest able to reach 100 feet (Sierra) and the shortest growing to only 5 feet tall (Mendocino White Plains).
• Width: 20 feet (Sierra).
• Growth Rate: Lodgepole pines grow at a moderate rate, usually between 12 – 24 inches per year.

Lodgepole pines are a good choice for a yard if you’re looking to fill in space or if you want a large, long-lived ornamental tree. They can grow in a wide range of conditions but tend to flourish in the West.

Ponderosa Pine

Also known as the Western Yellow pine, Ponderosa pines are very drought-tolerant and are found more heavily on the western side of the United States. In addition to dry conditions, Ponderosa pine is also fire-resistant due to its thick bark.

Ponderosa pines are tall and upright, similar to lodgepole pines, but slightly wider at the top. They self-prune themselves so that when they are mature they rarely have branches at the bottom.

• Sun: Full sun.
• Hardiness zone: 3 through 7. The most common states where Ponderosa Pines grow include as far east as Nebraska and Oklahoma to as far west as the Pacific Coast in California, Washington, and Oregon.
• Maintenance: Low
• Height: According to the University of California, Ponderosa pines usually reach mature heights of around 90-130 feet
• Width: 25-30 feet
• Growth rate: Moderate, growing between 12-24” per year.

Ponderosa pines are best grown in a yard where they will be the only tree in the area or else grown at the same time with other Ponderosa pines. They will not grow well in shade, so make sure to plant them in full sun away from other trees that might shade them.

Canary Island Pine

A lot of times pine trees are associated with cold weather, but not all pine trees are found in the cold regions of the United States. Canary Island pines are an excellent choice if you’re looking for a pine tree and live in a warmer climate!

As the name suggests, these trees are native to the Canary Islands of Spain. There’s not a lot to dislike about this tree. It has attractive bark, large pine cones, and an overall cone shape at maturity that makes a great statement piece in your yard.

• Sun: Canary Island pines can withstand partial shade, but they grow best in full sun.
• Hardiness Zone: 9 through 10. This warm-loving pine thrives in climates such as Florida, Louisiana, Texas, southern Arizona, and along the Pacific coast.
• Maintenance: Canary Island pines are tolerant of a variety of soil pH and textures as well as salt. It is also drought-tolerant, making it a very low-maintenance tree.
• Height: 50 to 80 feet.
• Width: 20 to 35 feet.
• Growth Rate: Considered fast-growing, Canary Island pines usually grow 2 or more feet per year.

If you have enough space, Canary Island pines are a great choice for the yard even if you live in a drier climate. These pines aren’t a good choice for small urban yards.

Eastern White Pine

The Eastern White Pine is a US native, originating in the northeast and Canada. It makes an excellent landscape tree and can be used as a border when planted with other White Pines or as a single tree.

Sandy, well-drained soils are preferred, but the Eastern White Pine can survive in a variety of soil conditions as long as the soil is slightly acidic. This tree is not very tolerant of urban or coastal conditions.

• Sun: Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 3a to 8a which includes much of the United States except for the extreme south, extreme north, and the Pacific coast.
• Maintenance: Like most pines, Eastern White pine is low maintenance.
• Height: 50-80 feet.
• Width: 20-40 feet.
• Growth Rate: According to North Carolina State University, the Eastern White Pine has a rapid growth rate, meaning 2 or more feet per year.

Even if you don’t have enough room for a full-size white pine, some varieties can fit in small yards and even containers. This is an excellent ornamental tree and should be grown in the yard where it can receive full sun.

Jack Pine

If you can’t seem to grow anything in your yard, you may have luck with a Jack Pine. These trees can grow on the poorest of soils and can withstand drought and extreme cold.

That is, as long as you’re willing to put up with a scraggly-looking landscape tree. Jack Pines have long, spreading branches that create an open crown. If you’ve ever seen a Christmas Tree after a cat’s climbed through it, then you have an idea of what a Jack Pine looks like!

Despite this, they are very hardy and easy to grow.

• Sun: Full sun
• Hardiness Zone: According to Iowa State University, Jack Pines thrive in hardiness zones 3 through 7 which include most of the United States except the extreme south and the warmer parts of the Pacific Coast states.
• Maintenance: Low. Jack Pines can survive in almost any condition.
• Height: 30 to 50 feet.
• Width: 10 to 18 feet.
• Growth Rate: Jack Pines have a rapid growth rate, meaning 2 or more feet per year.

Jack Pines may not be the most attractive pine tree, but they are great to plant in yards located on poor, dry soil. 

Mondell Pine

On the opposite side of the spectrum from Jack Pine, Mondell Pines are quite attractive and have an upright appearance throughout their lifetime. It has dense branches, making it a great tree to use as a privacy border or as a grand ornamental tree in the yard by itself.

Mondell Pines are another tree that is more suited to warmer climates. It is drought resistant and does well in hot, arid conditions. It can thrive in a variety of soil conditions from sand to clay and anything in between. Mondell Pines also have little preference for soil pH.

• Sun: Mondell Pines prefer full sun, but they can still survive in partial shade. If grown in partial shade, don’t expect them to grow as fast as those planted in full sun.
• Hardiness Zone: 6a to 8b, including much of the southern United States such as Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina. It can also thrive in parts of the Northeast and a few places in the far west.
• Maintenance: Low
• Height: According to the University of Florida, Mondell Pines usually reach around 30-40 feet.
• Width: 25-30 feet.
• Growth Rate: Medium, usually growing between 12-24 inches per year.

Like most pines, Mondell pines are low maintenance and easy to grow when given the right conditions. This is a good choice for your yard if you have the space to grow it or want to create a natural privacy fence as Mondell Pines have thick branches that can be used as screens.

Japanese Black Pine

Many of the pine trees on our list so far are large and unsuited for small yards. That’s where the Japanese Black Pine comes in! This tree can be used as a bonsai tree or planted in a garden or small yard.

The Japanese Black Pine is known for its interesting look. It does not have a centralized trunk but rather grows with spreading branches. This handsome tree will not be conical or pyramid-shaped like most pines, but rather has a flat-top appearance.

• Sun: Full sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5b – 8a. This makes it a good fit for most states in a central belt across the U.S. such as from central Pennsylvania down to North Carolina and across to Kansas and Oklahoma. They can also survive along the eastern side of Washington and Oregon.
• Maintenance: Low
• Height: Japanese Black Pines can be kept small, but they may reach a maximum height of around 20-60 feet.
• Width: 12-20 feet.
• Growth Rate: Moderate, growing between 12-24 inches per year.

The Japanese Black Pine is a great choice for those who want a smaller pine tree for their yard and don’t mind a non-traditional appearance. These trees are tolerant of drought and heat as well as coastal sandy and salty conditions.

Fastest Growing Pine Trees Ranked: Complete Growth Chart

Now, for the part you’ve been waiting for! We’ve compiled everything we discussed above into a neat little chart to give you an idea of the fastest-growing pine trees. You’ll also see how long they live, their maximum height, and the best-growing zones for each pine tree.

Tree	Annual Growth	Lifespan	Full Height	Best Hardiness Zone
Loblolly Pine	More than 24”	100-300 years	90 feet	6b-9a
Canary Island Pine	More than 24”	180 years	80 feet	9-10
Eastern White Pine	More than 24”	200 years	80 feet	3a-8a
Jack Pine	More than 24”	100-200 years	50 feet	3-7
Austrian Pine	12-24”	>500 years	60 feet	3b-7
Scotch Pine	12-24”	150-300 years	60 feet	3a-7
Lodgepole Pine	12-24”	150-200 years	100 feet	4-8
Ponderosa Pine	12-24”	>500 years	130 feet	3-7
Mondell Pine	12-24”	N/A	40 feet	6a-8b
Japanese Black Pine	12-24”	150 years	60 feet	5b-8a

Which Pine Tree Should I Plant In My Yard?

Based on the chart above, you may want to grab a Loblolly pine or Eastern White pine and get to planting! However, some of these pines may not be suitable for your yard depending on where you live and what kind of soil you have. 

Don’t worry, we’re here to break down which pine trees are the best for your yard so you can plant with confidence.

Best Pine Trees For Cold Climates

If you live somewhere where you have to put two pairs of socks on in the winter, you can’t exactly plant a Canary Island pine or Loblolly. You’ll want to go for a pine tree that’s cold-tolerant and doesn’t mind a few cloudy days.

The best pine trees for cold climates include:

• Eastern White Pine
• Jack Pine
• Austrian Pine
• Scotch Pine
• Lodgepole Pine
• Ponderosa Pine

Best Pine Trees For Warm Climates

If you live somewhere where you can wear sandals in the winter, you may want to consider a pine tree that does well in year-round warm weather.

Consider these pine trees if you live in the south where winters are mild and summers are warm:

• Loblolly Pine
• Canary Island Pine

Mondell and Black Japanese Pines fall somewhere in the middle, doing well in the centralized region of the United States.

Best Pine Trees For Small Yards

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to bring a little nature into the city. If you have a small yard, you can’t exactly plant a gigantic Lodgepole or Ponderosa pine. Instead, you’ll want to look for some of the smaller varieties:

• Japanese Black Pine
• Dwarf Scotch Pine
• Mondell Pine
• Dwarf Eastern White Pine
• Small varieties of Lodgepole Pine

Best Pine Trees For Privacy Screens

Pine trees are great to use as privacy screens between you and your neighbors. It’s a natural border that doesn’t require a ton of maintenance like a fence would. Some pine trees are either too thin or self-prune their branches, making them a poor choice. You want a pine tree that’s dense and full.

Some of the best pine trees on our list for privacy screens include:

• Austrian Pine
• Eastern White Pine
• Mondell Pine

Best Pine Trees For Poor Soil

Not all yards are bursting with nutrients or packed with well-draining soil. Some places like arid desert climates or rocky yards have a hard time letting anything grow. The good news is that there are a few pine trees on our list that will grow in just about any condition!

• Jack Pine
• Loblolly Pine
• Mondell Pine

Even though these pines can grow on poor soil, you’ll still want to check their hardiness zone to make sure they can grow in your area.

That’s A Wrap!

Pine trees are a great choice to plant in the yard. They are evergreen, meaning they will bring color to your yard when your other deciduous trees have lost their leaves. They are low maintenance and come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit just about any yard out there.

One thing that can be frustrating about planting a tree is waiting for it to grow. To recap, the 10 fastest-growing pine trees include:

• Austrian Pine
• Loblolly
• Lodgepole Pine
• Ponderosa Pine (Western Yellow Pine)
• Eastern White Pine
• Jack Pine
• Scotch Pine
• Canary Island Pine
• Mondell Pine
• Japanese Black Pine

Whether you live in a cold or hot climate, have sandy or clay soil, or have a big or small yard, there is a pine tree on our list that will fit your situation!

If you’re not sure about which pine tree to plant, you can always reach out to your local arborist to get directions on what grows best in your area.

References

Bruce E. Borders, Robert L. Bailey, Loblolly Pine—Pushing the Limits of Growth, Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, Volume 25, Issue 2, May 2001, Pages 69–74, https://doi.org/10.1093/sjaf/25.2.69

Dobbertin, M. Tree growth as indicator of tree vitality and of tree reaction to environmental stress: a review. Eur J Forest Res 124, 319–333 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-005-0085-3

Makinen, H., & Isomaki, A. (2004, November 15). Thinning intensity and growth of Scots pine stands in Finland. Forest Ecology and Management, 201(2-3), 311-325. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378112704005328

Thomas R. Fox, H. Lee Allen, Timothy J. Albaugh, Rafael Rubilar, Colleen A. Carlson, Tree Nutrition and Forest Fertilization of Pine Plantations in the Southern United States, Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, Volume 31, Issue 1, February 2007, Pages 5–11, https://doi.org/10.1093/sjaf/31.1.5

With over 35 different species of spruce trees sprouting among the states, it can be hard to narrow down which spruce tree is best suited for your yard. If you’re searching for a quick start to your spruce tree journey, there are a few species that will start soaring once you send them into the soil.

The fastest growing among the spruce tree species is the Norway Spruce. Closely following this towering monster in its footsteps is the Sitka Spruce, the White Spruce, the Colorado Blue Spruce, the Engelmann Spruce, the Serbian Spruce and the Red Spruce. All of these spruce varieties will grow fast!

While the majority of the spruce tree species grow just under one foot per year, these seven species grow beyond twelve inches annually, allowing you to quickly jump-start your spruce journey. 

What Is A Spruce Tree?

A spruce tree is a coniferous evergreen that naturally sprouts from the soils of mountainous regions and boreal forests across the map.

Spruce trees are one of the most sought-out coniferous trees for residential planting. Once you get a glimpse of them, you’ll understand why! You’ll often find them as part of the landscape for design and functionality, as they can often be used for windbreaks and even Christmas trees!

Coniferous, often referred to as a conifer, simply means that the tree bears cones. Each variety of spruce tree will develop cones as they mature.

Evergreen simply means that the foliage of the spruce will remain green throughout the seasons. As the trees begin to lose their leaves, the needles of the spruce will hold strong and stay green, which is different from the average deciduous tree that displays a darling show during the fall!

In other words, a spruce tree is a pyramidal-shaped tree with evergreen needles that develop seed-bearing cones that droop down from the branches.

Among a few other species of trees that can be described the same way, there are few specifics to the nature of the spruce.

Pines Trees vs. Fir Trees vs. Spruce Trees: The Pinpointed Difference 

Spruce trees are most commonly misidentified as a fir or pine trees. 

Unless you’re up close and personal, or have the encyclopedia of trees memorized, it’s hard to distinguish the differences without any delay. 

Look At The Needles

First and foremost, proper identification of any coniferous evergreen begins with the needles. 

When examining the needles of any evergreen tree, pay close attention to the points at which the needles attach to the twigs. If the needles appear to be long and soft and attach in clusters of two, three, or five, you’re looking at a pine.

If the needles are attached individually, you could be looking at a spruce tree or a fir. To determine the difference between the two, you’ll have to take a closer look at the needles.

Fir needles are generally flat, friendly, and flexible while spruce needles are spiny, square, and sensitive. 

If you were to place a needle in your hand, the spruce needle would roll between your fingers and likely break, while the fir needles would not budge and have a bit more flexibility to them.

Study The Cones

Without touching the tree, you’d be able to tell the difference between a fir and a spruce through the characteristics of their cones. 

Spruce cones droop down from the branches while fir cones stick straight up and fall apart before falling to the ground with signs of sap.

Generally, evergreen trees found in landscapes are likely going to be spruce trees, but if you have an evergreen growing in your yard that you can’t identify, try those tips!

Which Spruce Trees Will Grow The Fastest In My Yard?

Spruce trees are often slow to moderate-growing evergreens… with an emphasis on slow. There are, however, a few species that are faster growing than the rest and would make the perfect addition to your yard.

Norway Spruce

The Norway Spruce is the fastest-growing spruce tree. The Norway Spruce is known for its rapid growth and droopy branches allowing it to become one of the most commonly planted spruce trees for ornamental use.

The Norway Spruce can grow up to 60 inches per year, but on average inches upward at two to three feet per year. At maturity, the Norway Spruce reaches 45 to 70 feet tall and can continue to grow up to 100 feet in height. It has a typical spread of 30 to 50 feet wide, so it needs a bit more growing room than the average spruce tree.

This spruce is easily grown and adapts well to a variety of climates and soil conditions, but does best when planted in acidic, well-drained soils with access to full sun. 

Although, it is not among the drought-tolerant spruce species… so keep the water coming! Here are some tips for watering your spruce tree (and when to do it).

The Norway Spruce can also be known for its longevity. While the majority of this species lives for only a few hundred years, several Norway Spruce trees have been carbon-dated to be over 9000 years old according to Bates College Research.

There are many valuable uses for the Norway Spruce beyond its growth timeline, but if you’re just looking to harness its quick growth to watch it reach a mature height in your lifetime, it’s the perfect spruce tree for your yard.

The Norway Spruce can be found just about anywhere and is often found in landscapes throughout the map.

Sitka Spruce 

Next, in the order of fastest growing spruce trees is the Sitka Spruce. It is actually known as one of the largest trees in the family of spruces and is the largest tree to grow in Alaska.

At first, growth may be slow. As the Sitka Spruce begins to mature, it can grow up to 60 inches per year, but on average, tops out at just over two feet per year. Mature trees often reach heights beyond 200 feet.

The Sitka Spruce is naturally found in landscapes and foggy forests along the Pacific Northwest Coast. It does have very little use in landscape because of its hardiness and size, but if you’re looking to grow the tallest tree around, give it a go!

Because of its limited use and hardiness, it may be hard to find a Sitka spruce at your local nursery. However, you can purchase your very own Jonsteen Sitka Spruce Sapling here! These natural saplings are grown organically and are even backed with a growing guarantee! If your sapling isn’t looking too hot, they’ll send you a new one!

When you go to plant your new Sitka Spruce sapling, be mindful that it still requires full sun, wet soils, and a misty environment, preferably near the ocean.

White Spruce

Known for its beautiful needles and ability to add elegance around your home, the white spruce is the next on the list for fastest growing spruce trees.

Perhaps the most common use for the White Spruce is during the holidays. This spruce is often grown as a Christmas Tree! If you’re searching for a tree to decorate or cut down for the holidays, it would make the perfect addition to your yard.

The White Spruce grows at a steady rate of 13 to 24 inches per year. At maturity, the white spruce reaches just over 40 feet tall with a spread of 10 to 20 feet.

This spruce tree is native to much colder climates than the average spruce and is one of the most valuable trees in Alaska. 

In your yard, this spruce tree requires direct sunlight and acidic and well-drained soils.

Colorado Blue Spruce

And of course, the most versatile spruce tree of them all is the Colorado Blue Spruce. This spruce is well known throughout the states for its beautiful bluish-green needles and perfectly symmetrical shape.

Although this spruce isn’t labeled as the fastest growing, it still grows quicker than the rest of the spruces listed below.

The Colorado Blue Spruce inches upward at one to two feet per year, reaching its average mature height of around 60 feet in 30 to 50 years. Like most other spruces, the Colorado Blue Spruce will have a spread of about 10 to 20 feet at maturity.

This beauty is also often grown for use as a Christmas tree. It has a delicate aroma and beautiful blue needles. It’s important to note that the blue spruce isn’t known for its needle retention, but if you’re looking for an outdoor Christmas Tree, this is a great option!

The Colorado Blue Spruce, like the rest, needs full sun, acidic soil, and temperate climates to grow at its best.

Native to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, this Colorado Blue Spruce can grow in yards just about anywhere, including warmer climates in the plains of the United States. It is not the most drought-tolerant, so if it is to be grown in warmer climates, be sure to keep the first two inches of soil consistently moist.

Engelmann Spruce

Unless you’ve ventured out into the timberline among the mountains, it’s possible that you have yet to encounter the Engelmann Spruce. The Engelmann Spruce is still sometimes used as an ornamental landscape tree often as a windbreak, and sometimes just an evergreen statement tree that stands slender and tall.

The Engelmann Spruce grows at an average of one to two feet per year reaching its mature height between 40 to 80 feet with a spread of 10 to 15 feet. This spruce starts out slow, as the majority of spruce trees often do when grown from seed, but has been known to take 20 years just to reach 4 to 5 feet when grown in lower altitudes. 

After it gets going, it will easily grow up to two feet per year when planted in acidic soils with direct sunlight.

This species of spruce tree often lives longer than the rest. It is not rare for an Engelmann spruce to live beyond 500 years of age, so try adding a piece of history to your yard to be admired for years to come!

Serbian Spruce

The Serbian Spruce is an elegant evergreen that grows at an average rate but is perfect for landscape use. 

Since the Serbian Spruce can grow in hardiness zones 4 to 7 (quite similar to the Colorado Blue Spruce which grows from 3 to 7), it is perfect for most yards that don’t see the desert sun.

On average, the Serbian Spruce grows at least 12 inches per year reaching an average height of 40 to 60 feet with a 20 to 25-foot spread in under 50 years. It has even been noted that at its best, the Serbian Spruce can grow up to three feet in a good year.

This spruce is often a darker green than the rest and can grow quickly with only four hours of sunlight per day. It still requires consistent rainfall, and acidic soils to grow quickly.

The droopy nature of the Serbian Spruce can add lots of character to your yard, so if you’re looking for a show-stopper, try planting a Serbian Spruce!

Red Spruce

Last, but certainly not least on the list of fast-growing spruces is the Red Spruce. The Red Spruce is one of the most common spruce trees to grow along subalpine regions of the world.

The Red Spruce is native to the Eastern portions of North America but still grows abundantly in other mountainous regions just below the timberline.

In good conditions, the Red Spruce can grow just beyond one foot per year on average and maxes out at an average height of 60 to 80 feet with a spread of 20 to 30 feet.

The Red Spruce is named after its resilient, reddish bark, often even referred to as a “red fir” instead of spruce, although it is clearly part of the spruce family.

If you’re looking to grow a red spruce, it does best in areas with constant rainfall, cool summers, direct sunlight, and acidic soils.

Its staggered pyramidal shape and red tint makes it an earthy addition to your yard. 

If your spruce tree’s needles is turning red, here’s why (and how to fix it!)

Fastest Growing Spruce Trees Ranked: Complete Growth Chart

Tree	Annual Growth	Lifespan	Full Height	Best Hardiness Zone
Norway Spruce (Picea abies)	13” to 60”	300 – 900+ years	75’ – 100’	2b to 7a
Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)	12” to 60”	400 – 800+ years	40’ – 230’	7b to 8b
White Spruce (Picea glauca)	13” to 24”	250 – 300+ years	40’ – 60’	2 to 6
Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)	12” to 24”	600 – 800+ years	30’ – 135’	3 to 7
Engelmann Spruce (Picea engelmannii)	12” to 24”	500 – 600+ years	40’ – 80’	2 to 8
Serbian Spruce (Picea omorika)	12”	60 – 100+ years	40’ – 60’	4 to 7
Red Spruce (Picea rubens)	12”	250 – 450+ years	60’ – 80’	2 to 5

*growth may vary based on conditions

Which Spruce Tree Should I Plant In My Backyard?

Each tree journey is specific to your own aspirations, aesthetics, and availability. 

It is important to note that spruce trees are best suited for large, open spaces in your yard with full sun. 

You’ll want to be sure that you plant your spruce at least 20 feet from other structures, buildings, and trees for it to reach its fullest potential and grow at its fastest rate.

According to the Montana State University Extension Service, it is possible that specific spruce species can grow too large for average-sized yards. Selecting a smaller, fast-growing variety from the list above might be the best option for your yard.

Check out these ideas below for the spruce tree that best suits your tree journey!

What Are You Searching For In A Spruce Tree?

Have an average-sized yard and still want a towering spruce? The Colorado Blue Spruce is the best option for smaller yards, but remember, it still needs lots of space to grow!

Are you looking to grow the fastest forest of spruce trees around your home? The Norway spruce is the quickest-growing spruce variety of them all. You could have the start of a forest of spruces at a decent height in under 5 years!

Searching to grow the tallest spruce tree around? The Sitka Spruce is the third-tallest growing tree in the world, try planting one!

Are you looking to catch the eyes of those driving past your home? The Colorado Blue Spruce produces the most striking bluish-green needles and is known to be one of the most beautiful landscape trees around!

What is the fastest-growing spruce tree for privacy? If you’re looking for a beautiful evergreen that also serves a function, the Norway Spruce makes the list as one of the best evergreen trees for privacy since its branches are widespread and the tree can reach a towering height!

Do you need to add some elegance to your yard? The White Spruce of Alaska has a stunning variation called the Weeping White Spruce, which grows just like the White Spruce and can elevate any yard! The Serbian Spruce is also another great option for adding a hint of elegance.

Want to bring home a piece of the mountains? The Engelmann Spruce and Red Spruce are the most abundant spruce trees in the mountainous regions of the Cascades and Rockies. Plant one of these species in your yard to bring a piece of the mountains home!

Live in a warmer climate and need the most drought-resistant spruce? The Colorado Blue Spruce is one of the most versatile spruce varieties of them all. Honestly, it’s probably the best option for any landscape tree! 

Does your spruce tree just need some help reaching its fullest potential? Try this Epsoma Organic Evergreen Tone Fertilizer to promote growth in your spruce! Sprinkle this natural fertilizer around the base of your spruce once in the early spring and once in the late fall and watch your spruce soar!

That’s A Wrap!

Among the 35 species of spruce trees, there are really only seven that are considered to be fast-growing when compared to the rest. If you’re looking to harness the beauty of a spruce in a few short years, consider planting one of the seven!

In order for these spruce species to be considered fast-growing, be sure to start your spruce from a sapling and not a seed. When grown from seed to sapling, it can take years. Only when your spruce reaches the sapling stage will these growth rates be accurate.

To review, here are the seven fastest-growing spruce trees for your yard, listed in order of growth:

• Norway Spruce
• Sitka Spruce
• White Spruce
• Colorado Blue Spruce
• Engelmann Spruce
• Serbian Spruce
• Red Spruce

Each of these seven spruce trees grows over a foot per year which deems them the fastest growing. Most other species in the spruce family grow less than a foot per year, which doesn’t make them as sought out as these seven!

Consider the chart and the requirements needed to keep your spruce tree happy and healthy when deciding which spruce tree is best suited for your yard.

And don’t forget to enjoy the journey along the way!

References

Barber, V. A., Juday, G. P., & Finney, B. P. (2000). Reduced growth of Alaskan white spruce in the twentieth century from temperature-induced drought stress. Nature, 405(6787), 668-673.

Bousquet, J., Isabel, N., Pelgas, B., Cottrell, J., Rungis, D., & Ritland, K. (2007). Spruce. In Forest Trees (pp. 93-114). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.

Cienciala, E., Altman, J., Doležal, J., Kopáček, J., Štěpánek, P., Ståhl, G., & Tumajer, J. (2018). Increased spruce tree growth in Central Europe since 1960s. Science of the Total Environment, 619, 1637-1647.

Miller, B. D., & Hawkins, B. J. (2003). Nitrogen uptake and utilization by slow-and fast-growing families of interior spruce under contrasting fertility regimes. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 33(6), 959-966.

Tjoelker, M. G., Boratynski, A., & Bugala, W. (Eds.). (2007). Biology and ecology of Norway spruce (Vol. 78). Springer Science & Business Media.

Wardle, P. (1968). Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Engel.) at its upper limits on the Front Range, Colorado. Ecology, 49(3), 483-495.

Have you seen trees that offer 2 or 3 different types of apples? Or maybe a peach and plum tree at your garden store and wondered just how they do that?

It’s all done by grafting branches onto an existing rootstock, and it’s something that you can do at home. Today we will go over different varieties of fruit trees that can be grafted together, and how to do it. 

Generally speaking, there are lots of different fruit trees you can graft together, like stone fruits such as peaches, plums, and nectarines.

You can also graft various citrus fruits on one tree such as oranges, lemons, and limes. The trick to grafting is to use trees that are similar to one another! It can get pretty wild.

My family once had a citrus tree that carried 5 different citrus plants on one tree. Limes, lemons, oranges, tangerines, and Meyer lemons, but it was a very expensive tree. You too can graft such a tree yourself all while saving valuable yard space and money. Keep reading to learn how you can do it!

What Even Is Tree Grafting, Anyway?

Grafting is the process of taking a branch or a few branches and attaching them to a different tree to get either different colors of flowers—think roses—or different kinds of fruits on the same tree. 

The process takes small branches, also known as scions, and inserts them into either the trunk or other branches of an existing tree, known as the rootstock. When successful, the new branch is grafted onto a tree and from there it gains nutrients and water from the tree and will eventually produce fruit or flowers, becoming part of the tree!

Sometimes grafting is used to keep a certain type of tree alive, or to keep a tree producing the same quality fruits. If you plant seeds from a tree, you never know if they will grow into mature plants, or if they will produce the same quality fruits. 

With grafting, you can take the high-quality fruit tree, graft a branch and grow it into an exact copy of the parent plant that still produces the same great fruit. It helps to take away the guesswork and saves time compared to growing trees from seed. 

Why Should You Graft Different Trees?

There are several reasons why grafting trees might make sense. Grafting will save space in your garden and offer variety. Maybe you have a few fruit trees, but one is doing really well in producing plenty of fruit, while a few more just never seem to produce much.

If you have a lot of trees and want to keep them growing, grafting can be a way to keep the same tree growing indefinitely. Grafting can also save time compared to growing fruit trees from seeds and waiting for them to be mature enough to start producing fruits. 

Some plants, especially fruit trees cannot be economically reproduced by seed. This is because hybrid fruit seeds will grow back into their ancestral trees. 

Meaning the lush, fleshy, full apples you get from the market, will most likely grow into hard, small, and nearly inedible fruits if you plant them straight from the seed. In this way, grafting is essential to keep growing the same high-quality fruits we are accustomed to. 

Graft To Save Space In Your Garden

Say you have a granny smith apple tree in your yard that makes some great apple pie or cobblers, but they are a bit too tart to eat straight off of the tree. Instead of buying a honey crisp tree, a golden delicious tree, or other varieties and taking up your entire yard with different apple trees, you could graft a few branches to your granny smith tree and still have different varieties of apples from the same tree. 

It also makes sense to graft your own trees rather than buying pre-grafted trees from your garden center. You get to choose what varieties of fruits you are looking for and what you will be more likely to consume. 

Don’t have a garden? Never fear, just bring your tree indoors! Check out our article on the 7 easiest fruit trees to grow indoors.

Keep Your Tree Growing, Even After Its Prime

Trees don’t live forever. They can live for hundreds of years, but most fruit trees only produce fruit for 10 to 20 years. If you remember that apple tree in your grandmother’s yard, it may not be producing good fruit any longer. 

If it was grafted, however, it could continue to produce fruit and live on as a new tree producing the same fruit you remembered as a child.

You can do the same to your own fruit trees. If they look like they’re about to reach the end of their fruiting careers, take a cutting from that tree and graft into a newer rootstock and you basically have a new clone of your old, fading tree. 

Grafting Saves Time

Compared to growing fruit trees from seeds, grafting can save years of time. When planting trees from seed, you could possibly be waiting 10 to 20 years for that tree to start producing fruit, and even then, the fruit it produces might not be very good.

When you graft branches from a mature tree, you know what the fruit will be like, and it only takes about 2 to 3 years before it starts producing fruit. 

I know, you’re still looking at a handful of years and a lot can happen in that time, but compared to waiting decades, I can wait a few years for homegrown fruits in my own backyard.    

Grafting Offers Variety

Although we already touched on this, it bears repeating. Also, you don’t only have to stick to apple trees to have different varieties. You can even graft some varieties of pears to your apple trees. 

Do you have a peach or plum tree? Why not have both? If you have a stone fruit tree you can potentially graft any other stone fruit to that tree such as apricots, nectarines, white peaches, or other kinds. 

What Fruit Trees Can I Graft Together?

Don’t get too carried away here and think you could have a ready-made fruit salad tree! You won’t be able to graft citrus, apples, plums, cherries, and mangoes together. The trees do have to be in the same family and have similar cell structures or they won’t take. 

Most woody plants (trees and shrubs) will take to being grafted, but it can be difficult without the proper amount of skill and education.  

Graft Citrus Together

Remember the citrus tree with five different fruits on it? They were all citrus trees, that’s why they worked so well. There are a lot of varieties here, you could have grapefruit, pummelos, kumquats, or tangerines, mandarins, and navel oranges. Whatever you could think of, as long as they are still citrus trees. 

Learn more about citrus tree care by taking a look at our article all about pruning your orange tree and other care tips.

Apple Trees Varieties Are A Match

You go to the local farmer’s market or grocery store and notice an ever-increasing lineup of apple varieties, well, these can all be grafted together too. You’ll know if a graft takes because after a few weeks, either it will take and start growing, or the scion will die off. 

Stone Fruit Trees Get Along Well

These trees include soft, fleshy fruits that contain hard, stone-like pits in the middle, encasing a seed. Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and cherries, are all considered stone fruits, and they can be grafted interchangeably. 

Graft Multiple Types Of Pear Trees

You can graft all kinds of different pears to each other including Asian pears, and quince. You might be able to graft apple and pear trees together as well but that requires some experimentation. 

You Can Even Graft Persimmons

Persimmon trees can produce a lot of fruit, but unfortunately, they can only be grafted inside the family of other persimmons. You do still have variety here as you can graft American persimmon, Oriental persimmon, and the date-plum together.  

Can I Just Graft Any Old Trees Together?

This answer is both yes and no. Whereas you can graft nearly any of the same two trees together, you won’t be able to graft say a pine tree with a fig tree.

You can graft apples to apples, oranges to oranges, and figs to figs, but don’t get excited thinking you’ll be able to create a mashup of an avocado and a mango tree I’d affectionately call an “avocango” tree!

If you’re grafting at home, keep your experiments to trees of similar types to prevent a lot of disappointments. 

Another thing to take into consideration when you decide to start grafting is your hardiness zone. You’ll still need to stick to trees that grow well in your zone. For example, if you live in the south where the summers can be quite hot and humid, your cold-loving plants most likely won’t survive the harsh heat and vice versa. 

How To Graft Your Trees The Right Way

There are several different ways to graft your trees, but we will keep it limited to three of the most popular and easier ways.

Grafting overall isn’t particularly easy, but once you get the hang of it, the biggest obstacle will be seeing if the pieces accept each other. There may be many things that keep your graft from growing properly and we will go over some of these possibilities.

The Right Time To Start Your Graft

You want to start grafting in the early spring after frost is no longer a threat, right about when your rootstock is starting to sprout new leaves. This gives the tree time to heal before summer sets in and all growing slow down. The spring is when trees do most of their growing and a great time for them to heal. 

Pick Your Tree To Graft

You want to start with a rootstock that isn’t too young or too old, but this also depends on how you are going to graft your tree.

This is assuming you have a tree that is established, is at least 5 to 10 years old, and possibly bearing fruit already. 

You can graft an entire, sapling, or tree to a root ball, but that’s a bit advanced and has a higher chance of failure, so in the interest of keeping things simple we won’t go into that in this article. 

When choosing your tree, you don’t want to start grafting the fruit tree you just purchased from your local garden center. You should have a tree that is established for a year or two.

When you plant a new tree, it really needs time to settle in, get its roots into the ground and be a well-established tree before you start cutting wounds into it. 

Pick Your Scions

When picking the scions (branches) you will be using for grafting, you should do this before the tree comes out of dormancy. This is usually done before you start grafting, and you will need to store them properly for a few weeks.

Look for straight branches that do not have any other branches going perpendicular. They need to be about pencil thick in diameter, and about 12” to 18” long. Water sprouts work great for scions, and since they normally get cut off during trimming, why not place them where they will be useful?

Since it’s probably too soon to graft them into place, you’ll need to store your scions. Use food-grade storage bags to store them and add a damp paper towel or damp sphagnum moss in the bag with the scions, and place them in the refrigerator; the crisper drawer works great here. 

You’ll have to store these until your rootstock begins to open up and fluff out their new leaves. Depending on where you live this could be as early as March or into late April. Just make sure your scions are not too wet or get dried out. 

Materials Needed For Grafting

When you begin grafting you’ll need a few tools to get started.

You’ll need things such as:

• Sharp pruning shears
• Loppers or fine-toothed saw
• Razor knife
• Gloves
• Grafting tape or electrical tape
• Wax tree sealant (optional depending on what kind of grafting you are doing)

You can use the MESTUDIO Grafting Tool Set, it has literally everything you need to start grafting on your own, including professional grafting pruners and grafting tape! For your sealant wax, we recommend using Walter E. Clark Trowbridge’s Grafting Wax, which has great reviews and will be perfect for your grafting projects.

A quick note here about taping your graft. Grafting tape works the best here because you won’t have to go back and cut it loose. It is made to hold long enough for the graft to fuse together, then it begins to deteriorate and fall off.

If you use something like electrical tape, you will have to remember to cut it loose so that it doesn’t act like a tourniquet and strangle your new graft. 

We’ve got even more for you to learn along your tree journey! Check out our article: Full Mango Tree Lifespan (And How To Grow Them)!

Cleft Grafting

Before cutting into your trees or removing scions, we want to make sure all of your cutting tools are clean, rust-free, and have been disinfected, this will ensure a clean and healthy cut.

A cleft graft is probably the easiest grafting technique to do. In a nutshell, you cut your rootstock branch straight and flat, cut a cleft into it, whittle down your scion, and shove it into the cleft, then seal everything up. 

With a cleft graft, you could potentially graft a few different branches into the same rootstock, if your rootstock is much bigger than your scions but we will stick with one right now. Once you have the hang of it and become a seasoned professional, you can attempt the multi-cleft graft. 

First off, find a branch about an inch thick on your rootstock where you will add your graft. Using sharp loppers or a fine-toothed saw, cut the branch off as clean and straight as you can.

Next, using your razor knife, carefully cut a straight cleft into the rootstock about an inch and a half deep. Take care here not to cut yourself or slice a large chunk off of the tree. If you rock your blade back and forth, you will have more control in your cleft cut.

Now you’ll take your scion, using your sharp knife, cut the end of your scion into a flat wedge. Cut on one side, then the other side evenly to make a flat wedge shape. This end you will insert into the cleft you made into your rootstock. You have now grafted your tree, but you’re not done yet. 

Use your sealing wax to seal the wound, then wrap it well with your grafting tape.

Now you can stand back and admire your handy work. 

Depending on the size of the tree, if you’re willing to keep going you could graft another place or two onto the same tree.

Be sure not to do more than 3 or 4, just to keep from opening up too many wounds on your tree, especially if it’s a younger specimen. 

Whip Grafting

Whip grafting is done at the same time in the growing season as cleft grafting is done, but this works with branches that are about the same size in diameter. Whip grafting typically does less damage to the tree than cleft grafting. 

Start off by finding a branch on your rootstock that’s the same diameter as your scion, then you have a couple of options here. You can cut it straight off with a single slice, or you can cut a v-shape into it, but your scion has to be cut to fit into the v-shape.

Either way, once you have your rootstock and scion cut and the pieces meet up together well, wrap them together with your tape nice and tight so that the scion doesn’t bend, or fall off. The better they connect, and stay connected, the better they will mend. 

There is no need for sealant wax here, as the tape wraps everything tight and keeps the area free from the elements.  

Bud Grafting

You’ll need a steady hand and a sharp knife for bud grafting. Here you will be cutting out a small section instead of cutting out an entire branch, then replacing that section with a bud from your donor tree.

This method works well with citrus plants.

On your rootstock, you’ll cut a shallow slice where you want the graft to go. You’re cutting just below the bark area in a shape as close as possible to your bud piece and vice versa. Also, leave a small flap of loose bark that the bud will be tucked into. 

From your scion or donor tree, find a section that has a bud starting off but not opened up yet. Patience and precision are key, as you want to slice a small piece of the tree, including the bud off of the donor.

Start above the bud, slice down past the bud, but not all the way through. Next at the bottom where you stopped cutting cut the bud free leaving a little wedge at the bottom of the bud piece. 

The bottom should be able to rest inside the loose flap of bark on your rootstock. This helps to hold the bud graft in place. 

Be careful not to touch the open, cut areas of the bud graft. Also, you don’t want to break off the tender bud, because it won’t grow back.

We know you got this though! You want to make sure your pieces line up as close as possible. Trim them if needed. Once they fit well, wrap it with your grafting tape. 

Wrap the entire piece up with several layers of tape. Keep the wrapping snug but not terribly tight, you don’t want to damage the bud. Keep this area and the tender bud in the shade for a few weeks if at all possible as this keeps the sun from drying out the graft. 

Then after three or four weeks, remove the tape and check your progress. The tree should have swollen up and incorporated the bud into the branch. 

Where Can You Get Grafting Scions?

If you don’t have a wide array of fruit trees to experiment with, it might be hard to start grafting your trees, so where can you go to find viable scions? Your local garden superstore might not appreciate you “trimming” their fruit trees and buying several trees just to get some foot-long scions could get expensive. 

Seek out friends and family if they have fruit trees they’d be willing to share with you. Maybe you could trade scions, then you’d both have some hybrid fruiting trees. You might be able to find some viable options in the wild, but I wouldn’t hold my breath looking for fruit trees in the wild. 

Did you know you can find viable scions and even rootstock online? Do a quick online search if you have no other options, or check with your local nursery. They might even be willing to sell you a few if they have them in stock. 

Just be mindful of what kind you purchase, and make sure your scions are either native to your area or are hardy in your growing zone. 

How Long Does It Take The Tree To Heal?

It may take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks for your graft to heal, and most of the growing season for it to truly strengthen. During that time, it’s best not to trim your tree. Let it grow on its own, and you can always trim it next year if it needs it. 

During this time, the tree could certainly benefit from a dose of fertilizer to help stimulate more growth. Look for organic fertilizer that is safe for fruits and vegetables, since you will be eating the fruits once they are ripe and ready. 

Another consideration to think about, when grafting, you might want to tag your branches so you know what fruit will be coming from those branches, and just in case you forget and trim the grafted branch too much. We don’t want all your hard work gone in one accidental snip!

Read all about the full timeline of growing a lemon tree in our article to get better sense of how long you’ll have to wait to enjoy the fruits of your labor!

There You Have It!

You want to keep the varieties of trees you graft together as close to the same family as possible, also while keeping the rootstock and scions to your hardiness zone. It may take a few tries to get the technique down, but with practice comes perfection. 

Now you know all about grafting; why it’s done, the practical uses, which fruit trees you can graft, and even how to graft fruit trees yourself. Go out there and start experimenting; make your own Franken trees with different fruits and have fun!

Want to learn more about trees along your tree journey? Check out our article 7 Best Fruit Trees for Rocky Soil (And How to Plant Them)!

References

Goldschmidt EE. Plant grafting: new mechanisms, evolutionary implications. Front Plant Sci. 2014;5:727. Published 2014 Dec 17. doi:10.3389/fpls.2014.00727

Habibi F, Liu T, Folta K, Sarkhosh A. Physiological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of grafting in fruit trees. Hortic Res. 2022 Feb 19:uhac032. doi: 10.1093/hr/uhac032. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35184166.

Melnyk CW. Plant grafting: insights into tissue regeneration. Regeneration (Oxf). 2016;4(1):3-14. Published 2016 Dec 21. doi:10.1002/reg2.71

Mahama, A. Assibi; Sparks, Brian; Zalesny, Ronald S., Jr.; Hall, Richard B. 2006. Successful grafting in poplar species (Populus spp.) breeding. In: In: Seventh biennial conference of the short rotation woody crops operations working group: short rotation woody crop production systems for wood products, bioenergy and environmental services; 2006 September 25-28; Pasco, WA.

Pecans are a popular nut, found in everything from pies to salads, as well as other desserts, and even in addition to many savory dishes. So, in eating pecans, did you ever wonder how they actually grow? Maybe you’ve seen them on a tree recently, and want to know where all pecans can grow. 

Pecans start to grow on pecan trees that are between the ages of 4 and 12 years old. Pecan trees can grow across the world, from the United States to Argentina, South Africa to Mexico, and China to Peru. 

Stick with me here to learn about all of the different regions of the world, and more specifically the United States, where pecan trees can grow. And before you know it, maybe you’ll be growing your own pecan tree!

Where Are Pecan Trees Originally From?

According to the University of Kentucky’s Center for Crop Diversification, the pecan tree itself is native to North America, including the United States and Mexico.

Pecan trees were harvested for food, and for centuries pecans were a part of the transatlantic trade routes.

Eventually, European explorers ventured over and began to harvest pecans for both food and pecan lumber, which furniture makers held in high regard. By the 20th century, the pecan industry was booming. Thus, the reason for the shift in pecan trees being traded and transported around the world. 

Key Pecan Tree Characteristics

Pecan trees are a big deal throughout history, and today still a hot commodity! When thinking about pecan trees, there are a few main characteristics that make them so special – and things you may want to consider before planting!

• Pecan trees are large deciduous trees, meaning that they lose their leaves as they go into their dormant state during the colder months of the year. , 
• A pecan tree’s leaves alternate in pattern to create a unique look. 
• They can mature to anywhere between 20-40 meters in height
• Pecans aren’t actually nuts – they’re drupes! Let’s talk about this for a second. 

Pecans Aren’t Actually Nuts!

These trees are members of the hickory genus, which means that technically pecans are not a nut. Wait…what?

Pecans are technically classified as a drupe, in the same way, that peaches, coconuts, and dates are!

According to the National Phenology Network, a drupe is a one-seeded fruit that is either fleshy or pulpy. It is a ‘fruit’ that has developed from one flower having a single ovary, and the seed has a hard or stony endocarp (AKA: the pit.)

Now that you know a little background on pecan trees – let’s get into it – where do pecan trees commonly grow?

Pecan Tree Growing Zones

These trees grow in areas that are generally warmer, but pecan trees can also be cold-hardy. In the United States, you’ll find them located in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9. 

While pecan trees can be found in countries all around the world that have similar environments, we’ll use the USDA’s growing zone map to discuss hardiness zones and what those look like.

It is a very digestible way to understand how the cold hardiness of trees can relate to the different zones of the country. We’ll talk more about the importance of hardiness zones later!

Without further ado – let’s get to it! Here are the common places where pecan trees grow!

7 Common Places That Pecan Trees Grow

According to New Mexico State University’s Pecan Toolbox, major areas of production are spread across the United States, Mexico, and South Africa. 

Pecan growth started naturally in regions that were more humid and subtropical. Now, many of the regions that we talk about below will fall into the category of humid (best for growth), semi-arid, or arid (worst for growth.) 

We’ll dive into these areas below!

North America- Southeast United States

Pecans are a major product that comes out of the southeast region of the country, Georgia, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Oklahoma are all major areas of pecan production within the states. 

It should be noted that the southern parts of the state that are west of central Texas, such as New Mexico and Arizona, are entirely dependent on irrigation systems to ensure that pecans grow well. Trees are more susceptible to disease in these regions, as their growing conditions are not quite as ideal.

For this reason, the American south and southeast are the best areas to grow pecans thanks to their long, hot, and unquestionably humid summers.

Pecan pie, pecan cookies, and pecans in a salad (sweet and savory) are just a few examples of the regional dishes you’ll find that use pecans heavily here.

North America – Mexico

Let’s not forget that Mexico was another one of the earliest places where pecans were recorded growing. In fact, today, Mexico produces nearly half of all the world’s pecans!

The states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Sonora are where you will find the most pecans being produced. 

Dishes like an Oaxacan bowl topped with pecans, pecan cookies, and even cream of pecan soup, are all typical dishes that can be found and enjoyed throughout these parts of Mexico.

Mexico produces 80,000 tons of pecans per year, which are sent around the world for people to buy and enjoy.

Africa – South Africa

Another country that is one of the main producers of pecans, South Africa, might be a bit more surprising.

This country is in a great spot in the world to have prime conditions for growing pecans. With a climate that borders subtropical and tropical, a sufficient amount of rainfall, and fertile, well-drained soil, pecan trees can thrive in South Africa.  

According to the South African Government, the Vaalharts and lower Orange river regions of the Northern Cape province are now home to major production of pecan nuts. However, pecan trees can be found growing in all provinces of the country.

Here, you’ll see pecan pie, cape brandy tart with pecans, and other delicious dishes that feature pecans.

While South Africa is the biggest pecan producer on the continent, other countries like Zimbabwe also produce this drupe.

Asia – China

The continent of Asia also has a stake in the world of pecans, and China is the main producer in this part of the world.

Since about 2017, China has been amping up its pecan production, as the health benefits of this nut are becoming more apparent and increasing its value.

Chinese five-spice candied pecans have become popular, as have Chinese fried pecans. These pecans are also often seen as an addition to Chinese dishes like chicken, carrot salads, and more. 

Australia

Does this one seem far out? After all, Australia is far from the Americas and Africa, and even China seems like a world away. Welcome to the globalized world, my friends. Australia is also a producer of pecans!

Common issues like scab disease, seen in the United States, do not impact Australian pecans, making their products even simpler. 

The country ships many pecans during the off-season in the Americas, which sees pecans being shipped just in time for those popular winter holiday dishes like pecan pie and other pecan-flavored items.

Australians themselves enjoy a good pecan pie, their own variation on salads with pecans, and pecan-apple pull-apart.

South America – Peru

Since pecans originated in the North part of the Americas, it is no shock that this crop worked its way down to South America during colonization periods.

Peru is a producer of this drupe, as well, and represents the western part of the continent while many of its neighbors are not major players in pecan production.

Exports are gradually growing, as Peruvian pecans tend to be much larger in size than the native crops of North America.

Ají de gallina, a popular dish with peppers, chicken, and Peruvian pecans, is quite a popular dish in this country. You’ll also find sweets like chocotejas. These dumpling-like chocolates tend to have a fruit or nut center along with a caramel-type filling.

South America- Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay

Peru is not the only part of South America where pecan trees can be found growing. Pecans grow in the countries of Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, which all happen to be in the same eastern region of South America. 

Brazil borders Uruguay to the north and Argentina sits in the western part of the tiny country. One thing they all have in common? Warm, subtropical environments where pecan trees can thrive. 

Uruguay’s classic sandwich, the chivito, can often be found with a chicken salad that has none other than pecans mixed in. Pecan pie is a staple in Argentina’s dessert world, and pecan truffles can be found in Brazil. 

Do Pecans Only Grow on Trees?

Pecan trees are deciduous trees that are part of the hickory genus and produce a drupe that is often referred to as pecans or pecan nuts. 

Pecans only grow on these trees, which tend to grow quite tall and wide. Unlike some species, the pecan tree only grows as a tree, not a bush or any other type of plant. 

So, yes. You will only find pecans growing on trees in environments that are humid and subtropical, with sand that is loamy, fertile, and well-drained. 

How Do Pecans Actually Form and Grow on a Tree?

Pecan trees grow naturally in groves, where trees are close to one another. Their roots system can go for twice as far as their canopies – so close is a relative term. 

You may also see pecan trees growing in orchards, which are more organized, man-made, rows of pecan trees. With an orchard, pecans are able to be more quickly and methodically harvested. 

Generally, pecan trees that have matured enough to bear fruit will be between the ages of 4 and 12. The age of maturity will depend on factors like weather, planting time, and overall maintenance.

Breakdown of the Requirements To Grow A Pecan Tree

Now you know a bit more about the history of pecan trees, where they grow, and what temperatures they thrive in – let’s break it down, so you can easily remember some key facts about growing a pecan tree if you desire to do so!

• Temperature: Your pecan tree will do best in a range of 40 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, though it can survive in extremely low temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  
• Soil: Sandy, loamy soil, or even more clay-based soil is going to be best for growing a pecan tree successfully. Overall, fertile and well-drained soil is key!
  
• Sun: Sunny conditions are great for pecans! They should get about 6-8 hours of sunlight a day, to keep them happy.
  
• Timing: February, or another time close to late winter and early spring like March, is the best time you could plant your pecan tree. This allows the winter frost to have died out but enough time for your tree to settle in before the blooming season and warm weather sees soil getting drier.
  
• Rainfall: 1-2 inches of rainfall a week is necessary to keep your pecan tree well. If the tree is still maturing, it will need more water. If it is a particularly dry summer, it will also need more water. Use a Flantor Garden Irrigation System if you need to help your tree get the proper amount of water.
  
• Fertilizer: Pecan palm trees will thrive with a fertilizer like Carl Pool Pecan Special Fertilizer. Its NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) balance is 18-6-6, so your tree gets some extra nitrogen and an otherwise balanced fertilizer to help it grow quickly.

Why Are Hardiness Zones Important?

As promised, before we go – I wanted to let you know a little more about hardiness zones and why they’re important!

Firstly, to understand hardiness zones, you should be familiar with the way that they are broken down!

Zones Are Split

Zones are split into 10-degree intervals with numbers to label them and then further broken up into 5-degree intervals noted by the sub-labels of A or B. 

For example, say you are looking at an area that is categorized as hardiness zone 8a. You know that 8 signifies the 10-degree (Fahrenheit) range of 10 to 20 degrees, but since you see a the area is actually in the narrowed-down range of 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. 

They Tell You How Cold Hardy The Plant Is

The temperatures that you see in these hardiness zones are not just average temperatures, though.

The term hardiness refers to how cold hardy a plant is, or how viable it is that it will thrive in certain extreme cold temperatures. 

So, the hardiness zone 8a would mean that this area has extreme minimum temperatures, on average, of 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. When you know what trees can survive this, including pecan trees, you’ll have an idea of what plants you can grow in your zone.

Hardiness Zones Help you See Which Plants Can Survive A Winter

Keep in mind that this is an average extreme low temperature, so hardiness zones don’t just refer to the typical cold weather of a region.

These zones are specifically designed to see what plants will be able to survive during a winter where temperatures hit extreme lows. 

Generally, pecan trees like low temperatures of about 40 degrees and prefer not to go over 80 degrees in the summer. 

However, based on what they can physically withstand, the average extremely low temperature a pecan tree can handle ranges from -20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Now that you know more about where pecan trees grow – it’s time to go!

It’s Time To Go

Pecan trees prefer areas that are hot and humid, bordering on subtropical. 

First found in what is now Mexico and the United States, these trees have been around for a long time, and served as a great source of food far before European populations began to cultivate them. 

These trees have since spread across the world, but are a very common plant to find in much of their native continent of North America.

Here are the 7 most common places where pecan trees grow:

• United States- Southeast 
• Mexico- North
• South Africa- North
• China
• Australia
• Peru
• Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay

With that, happy planting. Oh, and best of luck as you continue on your tree journey!

References

Onunkwo, I. M., & Epperson, J. E. (2000). Export demand for US pecans: Impacts of US export promotion programs. Agribusiness: An International Journal, 16(2), 253-265.

Orona Castillo, I., Sangerman-Jarquín, D. M., Cervantes Vázquez, M. G., Espinoza Arellano, J. D. J., & Núñez Moreno, J. H. (2019). The production and commercialization of pecan nut in Mexico. Revista mexicana de ciencias agrícolas, 10(8), 1797-1808.

Wood, B. W., Payne, J. A., & Grauke, L. J. (1994). An overview of the evolution of the US pecan industry. Pecan technology, 1-11.