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Bamboo is the plant that wins the race, although horticulturists would probably argue that Bamboo is more of a grass than tree. Truth is Bamboo can grow up to one meter a day, but can only set that record if temperature, light, nutrients, and water conditions are at optimum levels. Don’t look anywhere in Canada or USA for that kind of performance from Bamboos. Rather, you would need to go to the true tropical parts of the world to find Bamboos that you can almost watch grow. In recent years, certain varieties of Bamboo have been developed that will grow in Lambton County. They actually look and behave like the real thing. They are extremely fast growing, but may die back somewhat through winter. If cold protection is provided prior to winter, local Bamboo will survive quite nicely. Their fast growth and jungle look are ideal for those who want an informal tropical style garden. A little closer to home, the Paulownia tomentosa, also called Empress or Dragon tree, is a fast growing, newly developed tree grown primarily in Georgia. It can withstand a certain amount of frost, but will definitely not grow in Ontario. On average, the Paulownia tree will grow 12 to 15 feet per year. Growers are experimenting with this new tree to determine its potential as a tree for timber. For now, the only commercial value the Paulowmia tree has is for animal feed. No kidding. Leaves and stems are gathered and baled up and fed to animals, but for now, it is still too expensive for such a proposition to be worthwhile. Here in Ontario the fastest growing tree is Eastern Cottonwood (populus deltoides). It is not uncommon to find a Cottonwood tree that can grow 3 or 4 meters a year, particularly when young. The average growth will be closer to 2 meters per year. Cottonwoods can be found growing all the way from Florida to Southern Ontario, and even southern points in Alberta. Although classified as a hardwood tree, Cottonwood is rather weak wooded and therefore not really recommended as a good choice for city lots. Limbs easily fall with wind and ice storms, and roots are invasive, posing a threat for drainage pipes and concrete sidewalks or driveways. Cottonwood is valuable for timber and its wood is used for boxes, furniture, and pulpwood. Not far behind in growth rate are White Pine (Pinus strobus) and a few varieties of Spruce (Picea). White Pine will grow up to 3 meters per year, and becomes the tallest coniferous trees in Ontario. White Pine is truly a remarkable tree valued for its tall, straight trunks used extensively by the lumber industry. White Pine is a good choice for city lots because it has no negative attributes. White Spruce (Picea glauca) and Norway Spruce (Picea abies) are also fast growing trees that can achieve a growth rate of 2 or 3 meters per year, although their average is likely to be a meter or less. Needles are short, dark green, and very durable. White or Norway Spruce are popular choices for home gardens, although some would argue that their eventual width is too large for small city lots. The narrower growing Serbian Spruce is a popular choice for those wanting a smaller growing Spruce tree. Next week’s Garden Clippings will deal with slowest growing trees. |
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