The Best Fast-Growing Trees for Northeast Wisconsin

Staying Green All Year

• Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) grows quickly when young. This native tree is low-maintenance. In the landscape it reaches 50 to 80 feet tall. Hardy in USDA zones 3b through 7, it makes a good hedge or screen. Also grow it as a Christmas tree or treat it as a specimen. The Norway spruce (Abies picea) is best for moist soils, rising symmetrically to 80 or 100 feet tall. Norway spruce is the annual Christmas tree in New York's Rockefeller Plaza. One advantage is the many cultivars available, but a downside is its susceptibility to pests and diseases. Hardy in USDA zones 2b through 7a, Norway spruce has ornamental, elongated brown cones.

Resting in the Summer Shade

• One of the best shade trees throughout its hardiness zones of USDA 4 through 9, the native tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) combines a stately form anchored by a base often 4 to 6 feet in diameter. Large four-lobed leaves provide dense shade and turn golden yellow in fall. In spring, attractive cup-shaped, tulip-like flowers with yellow and orange petals grace the branches. With all that water around northeastern Wisconsin, one of the best trees to rest under in the summer, with trailing branches skimming the water, is weeping willow (Salix babylonica). Probably native to central Asia, weeping willow is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9. The rounded crown attains 50 feet in height and width.

Finishing in a Blaze of Glory

• Probably the best tree for brilliant red fall color is "Autumn Blaze" maple (Acer freemanii "Jeffersred"), a hybrid that holds its orange-red leaves longer, has a uniform branching habit, needs little maintenance and reaches 50 or 60 feet tall and 40 feet wide. It was named the 2004 Urban Tree of the Year by the Society of Municipal Arborists. Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) leaves turn russet red to bright red. It is tolerant of urban conditions. Trees reach 60 to 75 feet and 45 feet wide. Growth is fastest during the first 10 years. Growing in USDA zones 3 through 8, Northern red oak is valued for streets, parks, shade, and as a source of food and habitat for wildlife.

Growing Tall and Narrow

• Best for use in limited space, narrow or fastigiate trees, with upward-reaching branches, serve as boundary or barrier plants. "Dakota Pinnacle" birch (Betula platyphylla "Fargo"), developed at North Dakota State University, grows to 30 feet with a spread of 7 to 8 feet in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 7. Not only is it adaptable, it tolerates heat and drought. Yellow-white bark develops after several years and adds winter interest after the leaves drop. "Skyrocket" juniper (Juniperus scopulorum "Skyrocket") is probably the narrowest juniper available and is also fast-growing, drought-tolerant and low-care. The blue-green rocket-shaped tree gets 15 to 20 feet tall and only 2 or 3 feet wide. Hardy to USDA zones 4 through 9, the plants are deer-resistant and attract birds.