How Much Will a Cedar Tree Grow in a Year?

Red Cedar Growth Rate

• The eastern red cedar tree (Juniperus virginiana) grows at a rate of between 13 and 24 inches annually, a number designated as a medium rate of growth by the Arbor Day Foundation. It typically achieves a height of between 40 and 50 feet with a canopy width of 8 to 20 feet. The eastern red cedar's overall rate of growth can be impacted by environmental concerns like the type of soil in which it is planted.

Environment

• The eastern red cedar will achieve its best rate of growth when planted in limestone earth, although it tolerates a wide variety of soils. It prefers full sunshine to partial shade and is drought tolerant, while also withstanding occasional flooding. However, soil that is excessively irrigated will damage the tree. The eastern red cedar grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 9, an area that encompasses the majority of the country.

White Cedar Growth Rate

• The white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) is a slow-growing tree which, according to the Arbor Day Foundation, denotes a specimen that grows 12 inches or less annually. It matures to a height of as much as 50 feet with a spread of up to 15 feet. The white cedar appreciates full sunshine or partial shade and demands moist, well-drained soil, although it tolerates a variety of soil conditions. It grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 2 through 8.

California Incense-cedar

• The California incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) grows slowly, at a rate of less than 13 inches annually, eventually achieving a nature height of 70 to 100 feet in the wild or 40 to 60 feet in landscape settings. A thin specimen, it grows only to a width of 8 to 12 feet. The California incense-cedar is most healthy when planted in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 5a through 8b and commonly lives between 500 and 1,000 years.