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Trees are the most visual and imposing representatives of the plant kingdom. Its high tops shade the forests and are a source of shelter and food for countless species of all sizes. From a human point of view, these silent giants may appear to be immovable and eternal, but the trees are constantly growing and some even develop much faster than one might think.
You want to know how long does a tree take to grow and what factors influence its growth? Join us in this curious article by Ecologist Verde, in which we will talk about the growth and longevity of these vegetable colossi.
Growth time of a tree
The growth time of each tree varies greatly depending on the specific species and the circumstances of the environment in which the tree grows. Location of the tree, climate, altitude above sea level, type of soil or amount of light it receives are all things that have a great impact on the development capacity of the tree. However, there are trees that tend to grow in certain types of environments and whose indicative growth times are quite characteristic. Below is a list of approximate growth times for some of the more popular trees. Remember that it is only a guide value, which can vary a lot in each case.
- How long does an oak tree take to grow? the Quercus Robur, also known as common oak, is a robust, slow-growing tree with a life expectancy of more than 500 years. This can reach more than 30 m in height, and has an average growth of 23 cm per year.
- How long does a pine take to grow: the Pinus Pinea, or stone pine has an average annual growth of 50 cm and can reach up to 30 meters in height. Like oak, thanks to its robust appearance, although somewhat more slender, it has a life expectancy of more than 500 years.
- How long does an oak tree take to grow: the oak or Quercus IlexIt is another robust tree capable of growing more than 24 cm a year and that can exceed 25 meters in height. It belongs to the same genus as oak and has a life expectancy of hundreds of years and can even exceed a thousand.
- How long does a beech take to grow: the beech or Sylvatic fagus It is a leafy canopy tree that grows up to 1 m a year and reaches a height of about 24 meters during its more than 400 years of life expectancy.
- How long does a eucalyptus take to grow: with a life expectancy that also exceeds 400 years, eucalyptus or Eucalyptus regnans It can grow more than 1 meter a year and reach a height of 24 meters.
- How long does a chestnut tree take to grow: the chestnut or Castanea sativa, is one of the oldest characteristic trees in Europe. Their life expectancy can exceed not only 500 years, but there are still specimens with more than 1000 years. Its growth is fast, exceeding 1.5 m a year.
- How long does a mahogany tree take to grow: the average growth rate of a Swietenia mahagoni it is about 24 cm per year, reaching its height of maturity around 25 years.
- How long does a lemon tree take to grow: the Citrus x limon it reaches heights of up to 7 meters, reaching 6 meters in approximately its first two decades of life.
- How long does a mango tree take to grow: the mango tree, or Mangif.webpera indicaIt takes between 20 and 40 years to reach a maturity size, usually the one sought to give abundance of fruits, although after 10 years it already gives abundant fruiting.
- How long does an avocado tree take to grow: the Persea Americana, or avocado, is a tree that, under ideal conditions, will reach an early maturity period around 5 years, bearing fruit from this moment, although it is common for them to take 15 years or more to start doing so.
- How long does an apple tree take to grow: the apple tree, with a scientific name Malus domesticaIt takes about 10 years to complete its youthful period, after which it begins to bear fruit.
How much does a tree grow per year
As with their growth times and with the life cycle in general, each plant has different capacities to develop in a single year. Trees in hot and tropical climates, where winters are not cold, grow in a similar way throughout the year, while those in areas where the seasons are well differentiated, the tree spends the winters in a state of rest, to grow back in the warm months and regain all its strength and vitality.
In the previous list we have mentioned the average annual growth of the indicated species, indicating how much they grow approximately in the ideal conditions, although naturally this growth also depends on the life stage of the tree. These plants continue to grow throughout their life, but not in all stages they do so with the same vigor.
For example, the paulonia or kiri tree, of scientific name Paulownia tomentosa, is one of the fastest growing trees: in its first year of life it can reach 6 meters in height and can grow 30 cm in just 3 weeks, that is, 10 cm per week! Eucalyptus is also another very fast growing tree, although not as much as Paulownia: it can grow one meter each year in good conditions.
The yours westerninstead, it has a very slow growth. A copy of Thuja occidentalis in the Great Lakes of Canada that, in 155 years, did not grow more than 10 cm in height. Obviously, their conditions should not be the best.
If you are more curious, we recommend you discover these 22 plants that grow fast.
What to do to make a tree grow fast
Each species has specific needs for soil, climate, water and light. When the tree grows in a suitable environment for him, its growth will always be much faster.
Thus, what may be optimal for one tree may be lethal for another. While some trees need cold winters to thrive in spring, others will be killed by frost. While some need a soil with abundant moisture, others will cause disease and root rot for others. It is similar to the soil: there are tree species that require sandy and arid soils, while others require soils with abundant organic matter and rich in nutrients. Even with light there are no absolute truths, because while some species require a lot of sun and direct exposure to grow well, others would burn under those conditions. So, find out well about the needs of your tree and do everything possible to ensure that they are met.
We advise you to also read this other article on How to make plants grow faster.
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