Fast growing trees are the single most rewarding planting project to do with your dad because the results are visible within the same season rather than requiring years of patience before anything meaningful happens. Planting a fast growing tree together creates a specific kind of memory — a living thing that both of you watch grow taller every year for the rest of your lives.

These fast growing trees are selected specifically for backyard planting — strong growth rates without the structural problems and invasive root systems that make some fast growing species a poor long-term choice. Each one suits a different garden size and a different reason for planting.

1. The Hybrid Poplar That Grows 6 Feet a Year

✦ Best for: large gardens that need fast privacy screening or windbreak

The hybrid poplar is the fastest growing tree commonly available for garden planting — capable of adding 1.5 to 2 meters of height per year under good growing conditions, reaching a mature screening height of 12 to 15 meters within a decade. For a garden that needs privacy screening or a windbreak established as quickly as possible no other tree comes close to the speed of a hybrid poplar.

The trade-off for this exceptional growth rate is a shorter overall lifespan than slower-growing trees — typically 30 to 50 years rather than the centuries possible with oak or beech — and an aggressive root system that should be planted at least 15 meters from any building foundation or drainage system.

For a large garden or rural property where rapid screening is the priority and space allows proper root clearance the hybrid poplar delivers results within two to three growing seasons that other trees take a decade to match.

2. The Leyland Cypress That Creates an Instant Hedge

✦ Best for: dads who want fast privacy without the size of a full tree

Leyland cypress grows 60 to 90cm per year and reaches an effective privacy screening height of 3 to 4 meters within just three to four growing seasons — making it the most popular fast-growing hedge plant for gardens that need year-round evergreen privacy rather than a single specimen tree.

Unlike poplar Leyland cypress responds well to regular trimming, allowing it to be maintained at a chosen height rather than growing into a full-sized tree. This makes it suitable for gardens of almost any size, from a narrow boundary hedge to a substantial screening wall.

For a dad who wants the privacy benefit of a fast-growing tree without the eventual scale and root system of a true tree, Leyland cypress planted as a hedge row and trimmed annually from the second year onward provides the fastest route to genuine year-round privacy available in temperate climates.

Quick-Growing Heritage Trees to Build a Backyard Legacy: plant Leyland cypress at 60 to 90cm spacing for a dense hedge that closes gaps within two growing seasons. Wider spacing produces individual specimen shapes rather than a solid hedge wall.

3. The River Birch for Multi-Stem Character and Fast Shade

✦ Best for: dads who want an attractive specimen tree with fast results

The river birch grows 60 to 90cm per year and develops one of the most attractive bark textures of any common garden tree — peeling curls of cinnamon and cream bark that provide visual interest in every season, particularly striking in winter when the tree is bare. Multi-stem specimens, with three or more trunks from a single root base, create a more substantial and more visually interesting tree than a single-trunk specimen at the same age.

River birch tolerates wet soil conditions better than almost any other ornamental tree, making it the correct choice for gardens with poor drainage or a naturally damp area where many other trees would struggle. It also tolerates a wide pH range and adapts to most garden soil types.

For a dad who wants a genuinely beautiful specimen tree rather than purely a privacy or screening solution, the river birch provides the fastest route to an attractive mature-looking tree with year-round visual interest from its distinctive bark.

4. The Red Maple for Spectacular Fast Autumn Colour

✦ Best for: dads who love autumn colour and want results within a few years

The red maple grows 60 to 90cm per year and produces some of the most spectacular autumn foliage colour of any garden tree — brilliant scarlet and orange displays that begin appearing within just three to four years of planting a young specimen. For a dad who has always wanted a tree with genuine autumn colour impact the red maple delivers results far faster than the oaks and other slow-growing trees traditionally associated with the best autumn colour.

Red maple cultivars vary in their ultimate size and colour intensity — ‘October Glory’ produces the most reliable and most vivid red colour. ‘Autumn Blaze’ is a faster-growing hybrid that combines rapid growth with excellent colour. Both suit a wide range of garden sizes from medium to large.

The red maple also provides excellent shade once established, with a dense rounded canopy that creates genuinely usable shade within 8 to 10 years — faster than most shade trees of comparable eventual size.

Quick-Growing Heritage Trees to Build a Backyard Legacy: plant a red maple where the autumn colour display will be visible from the house — a window that faces the planting position extends the enjoyment of the colour display to every day it occurs rather than only when walking past the tree directly.

5. The Weeping Willow for Dramatic Fast Growth Near Water

✦ Best for: dads with a pond or wet area in the garden

The weeping willow grows up to 2.5 meters per year under good conditions, making it one of the fastest-growing ornamental trees available and the single most dramatic choice for a garden with a pond, stream, or naturally wet area. Its distinctive cascading branch structure creates one of the most recognisable and most romantic tree silhouettes in garden design.

Willow root systems are aggressive and seek out moisture, making careful positioning essential — plant at least 10 meters from any building, drainage system, or underground pipe. Near water this root-seeking behaviour is exactly what makes the willow thrive, drawing on the abundant moisture to support its exceptional growth rate.

For a dad with a garden pond a weeping willow planted at the correct distance from the water’s edge — close enough for the visual and reflective effect, far enough to avoid root intrusion into the pond liner — creates the single most picturesque water garden feature available from any tree species.

6. The Tulip Poplar for Height, Shade, and Surprising Flowers

✦ Best for: large gardens that want a substantial fast-growing shade tree

The tulip poplar grows 60 to 90cm per year while developing into one of the tallest native trees available for garden planting, eventually reaching 25 meters or more in ideal conditions. Beyond its impressive growth rate the tulip poplar produces distinctive tulip-shaped yellow-green flowers each spring — a genuinely surprising and beautiful feature that few people expect from a tree primarily known for its rapid growth and shade value.

The tulip poplar requires significant space to reach its full potential — this is a tree for a large garden or rural property rather than a small urban plot. Its straight trunk and high branching habit also make it well suited to underplanting, allowing shade-loving perennials and shrubs to be grown beneath its canopy once established.

For a dad with a large garden who wants a genuinely substantial shade tree that will define the landscape for generations, the tulip poplar offers the rare combination of fast growth, eventual grandeur, and an unexpected springtime flower display.

Quick-Growing Heritage Trees to Build a Backyard Legacy

Planting a fast growing tree together is one of the few gardening activities that produces a genuine legacy within a single lifetime rather than requiring multiple generations. A poplar or willow planted today will be a substantial mature tree within fifteen years — long enough for the planting day itself to remain a clear memory, short enough that everyone involved will see the tree reach impressive maturity.

Choose the tree based on what the garden actually needs rather than purely on growth speed — a privacy screen calls for poplar or Leyland cypress, a feature specimen calls for river birch or red maple, a pond-side planting calls for weeping willow. Matching the right fast-growing species to the right garden function produces a tree that earns its place rather than simply growing quickly without purpose.

Take a photograph on planting day standing beside the young tree. Take the same photograph in the same position every five years. The growth comparison over fifteen or twenty years becomes one of the most meaningful records of time passing that a family can create — more powerful than almost any other way of marking the years between a planting day and the mature tree it becomes.

📌 More garden ideas: How To Create a Living Memorial Garden for a Father

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the fastest growing trees for a backyard?

The fastest growing trees suitable for backyard planting are hybrid poplar (up to 2 meters per year), weeping willow (up to 2.5 meters per year), Leyland cypress (60 to 90cm per year), river birch (60 to 90cm per year), and red maple (60 to 90cm per year). The right choice depends on the garden’s purpose — poplar and Leyland cypress for privacy screening, weeping willow for a pond-side feature, river birch and red maple for an attractive specimen tree with fast results. According to the Arbor Day Foundation matching tree species to the specific site conditions and intended purpose is more important than growth rate alone when selecting a fast-growing tree.

How fast do fast growing trees actually grow?

Genuinely fast growing trees add 60cm to 2 meters of height per year depending on species and growing conditions. Hybrid poplar and weeping willow are the fastest commonly available species, capable of 1.5 to 2.5 meters of annual growth in good conditions. Leyland cypress, river birch, and red maple grow more moderately at 60 to 90cm per year but still significantly faster than slow-growing species such as oak, which typically adds only 15 to 30cm per year. Growth rates are highest in the first 5 to 10 years and typically slow as the tree matures.

Are fast growing trees bad for foundations?

Some fast growing trees, particularly poplar and willow, have aggressive and far-reaching root systems that can cause foundation and drainage problems if planted too close to buildings. Plant poplar and willow at least 15 meters and 10 meters respectively from any building foundation, drainage system, or underground pipe. Leyland cypress, river birch, and red maple have less aggressive root systems and can be planted closer to structures, though a minimum distance of 5 to 8 meters from foundations is still recommended for any substantial tree.

What is the best fast growing tree for privacy?

Leyland cypress is the best fast growing tree for privacy in most residential gardens because it provides dense year-round evergreen screening, responds well to trimming to maintain a chosen height, and reaches effective screening height of 3 to 4 meters within three to four growing seasons. For larger properties or rural settings where a taller and more substantial screen is needed without trimming maintenance, hybrid poplar provides the fastest route to a full-height privacy screen, reaching 12 to 15 meters within a decade.

More Garden Ideas

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→ How To Build a Cozy Dad’s Retreat Patio Corner

Pick the tree this weekend and dig the hole together. In fifteen years neither of you will remember exactly what you talked about while planting it — but you will both remember standing under it.