Antoine Saint-Exupéry, the French author of The Little Prince, pointed out: “It is futile to plant acorns in the morning and expect to sit in the shade of an oak tree in the afternoon.”
In the past few years, as the manager of a tree company in Arizona, the idea of a fast-growing tree is reminiscent of some negative pictures. When thinking about the reasons, I realized that my impression of the Phoenix metropolitan area has been destroyed by the recent home buying frenzy and the resulting instability that both homeowners and buyers have found. I was born and raised in Tempe/Mesa, and my patrilineal generations were born and raised in Arizona. For some evasive reason, understanding the characteristics of urban expansion in the area and witnessing it in my life often leaves a bad impression on me.
I must admit that if someone asks me which trees grow the fastest, I would suspect that their only purpose is to quickly increase the value of their property. Indeed, an aesthetically landscaped yard that includes large, mature trees will increase the value of the property. People just don’t stay in one place for a long time, so it’s hard to imagine that they will put a lot of energy into the trees in the yard for the benefit of future buyers. Today, the idea of a “heritage tree” seems to be a myth.
Of course, property value is not the only motivation for planting fast-growing trees. One of the most wonderful gifts that trees give us is shade. As Warren Buffet once pointed out, “Today someone is sitting in the shade of a tree because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” Naturally, in a desert climate dominated by sunlight, we need shade . We hope it will happen soon.
Regarding the growth rate, an article on the Arbor Day Foundation website states: “Slow-growing species generally live longer than fast-growing species.” Somehow, there are some natural compromises. The trees mentioned in the following list are taken from an article published in the Houston Chronicle. Its author warns: “Many fast-growing trees are troublesome. They may be densely wooded and susceptible to diseases and insects. […] There are exceptions, so get as much information as possible before planting. “
Here are some examples of trees that are known to grow relatively fast. The first few listed are most suitable for the climate and soil conditions in the Phoenix area:
o Palo verde variety (genus: Cercidium)-the faster growth rate is sonoran palo verde or mixed palo verdes, such as the desert museum or sonoran emerald palo verde.
o Mesquite species: The fastest growing is Argentine Mesquite (White Veratrum)
o Willow Acacia (locust)
o Desert Willow (Chlorella linearis)
o Chinese elm (Ulmus microphylla)
o Arizona Grey (white wax)
o Mexican sycamore (Mexican Platanus)
o Montezuma Cypress (Sequoia)
o Drummond Red Maple (Red maple)
o Green Grey (white wax)
o Plane Tree (Single plant hard wall)
o Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
o Monterey Oak (Quercus)
o Cherry Laurel (Carolina Lee)
○ Paulownia Variety (including Paulownia, Paulownia kawakamiEtc.)-Some of the many common names are: Sapphire Dragon Tree, Chinese Empress Tree, Japanese Pagoda Tree, and Miracle Tree; all of which are growing rapidly.
In addition, some examples of slow-growing trees in the Phoenix area are: Chinese pistachio, live oak, desert ironwood, and mangosteen. Of course, there are many others, all with advantages and disadvantages according to your idea of the yard.
I hope you found this article on fast-growing Arizona trees helpful. If you have not collected any other information from this article, I hope you understand the importance of conducting research before buying and planting any new trees in your yard. Know what you want and what you might succeed. I use a Chinese proverb to summarize: “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, followed by now.”
Source (in order of citation in the article):
Garden net
Arbor Day Foundation: The right tree is in the right place.
Chet Boddy article (from the monthly real estate column, Back to the land, Mendocino Coast Real Estate Magazine)
10 fast-growing trees worth considering in the Houston Chronicle
