Fastest Growing Trees: 16 Ranked by Growth, Strength and Zone

Key takeaways

• Hybrid poplar is the fastest yard tree with a federal growth figure: early height growth averages 4 to 6 feet a year, and first-year growth runs 3 to 8 feet (USDA Forest Service, Silvics of North America).
• Leyland cypress grows 3 to 4 feet a year when young (UF/IFAS fact sheet ST671) but NC State gives it a 20 to 50 year life and lists incurable cankers and root rots (NC State Extension).
• Retail claims of 3 to 5 feet a year for Thuja ‘Green Giant’ describe the best years: the U.S. National Arboretum lists the clone at 30 feet after 30 years (USNA release sheet).
• Among trees extension services rate as fast, pin oak and northern red oak have the strongest wood, 8,300 lbf/in² green modulus of rupture, against 4,800 for willow (USDA Wood Handbook, Table 5-3b).
• Callery (Bradford) pear, a rapid grower, can no longer be sold in Ohio (since January 7, 2023), Pennsylvania or South Carolina (since October 1, 2024), and Missouri follows on January 1, 2029 (Ohio Adm. Code 901:5-30-01; Missouri SB 105).

Most lists of fast-growing trees repeat nursery claims with no source and no downside. This one ranks 16 species by the growth figures that U.S. Forest Service silvics chapters and land-grant extension fact sheets publish, then adds what the lists leave out: wood strength from the Forest Products Laboratory, lifespan, root problems, planting distance and the state rules that now ban several fast growers from sale. Prices are on our tree planting cost guide.

Which trees grow the fastest?

Hybrid poplar grows fastest, at 4 to 6 feet a year early in life according to the USDA Forest Service silvics chapter on poplar hybrids. Weeping willow, dawn redwood, tulip poplar, Leyland cypress and Thuja ‘Green Giant’ follow at about 3 to 4.7 feet a year in published figures. Silver maple, river birch and pin oak average closer to 2 feet a year over the long run.

The table ranks each tree by the highest growth figure a primary source publishes for it. Where a source gives only a category (“rapid” or “fast”), the tree sits below those with numbers. Hardiness zones follow the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which uses 1991 to 2020 winter lows in 10°F zones.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Rank	Tree	Published growth rate	Mature height, spread	USDA zones	Lifespan	Size and zone source
1	Hybrid poplar (Populus crosses)	4 to 6 ft early; 3 to 8 ft first year (Silvics); 6.7 to 9.3 ft in an irrigated trial (UNR)	40 to 60 ft tall, 20 to 35 ft wide	3 and warmer	Not stated	NDSU Tree Handbook
2	Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)	4.7 ft a year for stump sprouts, first 6 years (Silvics)	80 to 120 ft, 30 to 60 ft	4a to 9b	Up to 300 years	NC State
3	Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)	About 4 ft a year: one Virginia tree reached 120 ft in 30 years (Arbor Day)	62 to 100 ft, 15 to 25 ft	4a to 8b	Not stated	NC State
4	Leyland cypress (x Hesperotropsis leylandii)	3 to 4 ft young (UF/IFAS); 50 ft in 15 years (NC State)	60 to 70 ft, 10 to 15 ft	6a to 10b	20 to 50 years	NC State
5	Thuja ‘Green Giant’	3 to 4 ft in optimal conditions (NC State); 30 ft at 30 years (USNA)	40 to 60 ft, 12 to 18 ft	5 to 7 (USNA); 5a to 8b (NC State)	40 to 60 years	NC State
6	Weeping willow (Salix babylonica)	3 ft a year; 3 to 8 ft by cultivar (Arbor Day)	30 to 50 ft, 30 to 50 ft	6a to 8b (NC State); 2 to 9A (UF/IFAS)	About 30 years	UF/IFAS ST576
7	Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)	2 to 3 ft a year (Arbor Day)	20 to 50 ft, 10 to 30 ft	1a to 6b	About 50 years per stem	NC State
8	Pin oak (Quercus palustris)	2.5 ft a year average (Arbor Day)	50 to 70 ft, 40 to 60 ft	4a to 8b	Not stated	NC State
9	Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)	40 to 50 ft in 15 to 25 years, or 1.6 to 3.3 ft a year (UF/IFAS)	60 to 80 ft, 25 to 35 ft	5A to 10B	400 to 600 years in old stands	Silvics
10	Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)	81 ft at 43 years in Ontario plantations, or 1.9 ft a year (Silvics)	60 to 80 ft, 40 to 60 ft	3A to 9B	130 years or more	UF/IFAS ST048
11	River birch (Betula nigra)	1.5 to 2 ft a year (Arbor Day)	40 to 50 ft, 25 to 35 ft	4A to 9A	30 to 40 years in urban sites	UF/IFAS ST094
12	Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides)	“Fastest-growing commercial forest species in North America” (Silvics)	75 to 100 ft, 35 to 60 ft	3a to 9b	Up to 70 years	NC State
13	Red maple, incl. ‘October Glory’ (Acer rubrum)	Fast (UF/IFAS); rapid (NC State); no ft figure	60 to 75 ft, 25 to 35 ft; ‘October Glory’ 40 to 50 ft	4A to 9B; ‘October Glory’ 5A to 8B	Seldom over 150 years	UF/IFAS ST041
14	American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)	Fast (UF/IFAS); no ft figure	75 to 90 ft, 50 to 70 ft	4B to 9A	Not stated	UF/IFAS ST484
15	Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)	Rapid (NC State); open-grown trees average 16 in. a year at ages 10 to 20, up to 54 in. (Silvics)	50 to 80 ft, 20 to 40 ft	3a to 8b	Commonly 200 years	NC State
16	Nuttall oak (Quercus texana)	Rapid (NC State); no ft figure	40 to 80 ft, 30 to 60 ft	6a to 9b	Not stated	NC State

1. Hybrid poplar, irrigated trial6.70
2. Tulip poplar, stump sprouts4.70
3. Hybrid poplar, early growth4
4. Dawn redwood, one tree4
5. Leyland cypress, young3
6. Green Giant, optimal3
7. Weeping willow (S. babylonica)3
8. Baldcypress1.60
9. Quaking aspen2
10. Pin oak2.50
11. Silver maple, 43-yr average1.90
12. River birch1.50
13. Green Giant, 30-yr average1

Source: USDA FS Silvics; UNR Extension; UF/IFAS; NC State; Arbor Day Foundation; U.S. National Arboretum. Compiled October 2026 Single figures show the same low and high. Baldcypress and silver maple are derived from heights at stated ages. Trial figure: irrigated, fertilized, 5 by 5 ft spacing.

Show the numbers

	Low (ft/yr)	High (ft/yr)
Hybrid poplar, irrigated trial	6.70	9.30
Tulip poplar, stump sprouts	4.70	4.70
Hybrid poplar, early growth	4	6
Dawn redwood, one tree	4	4
Leyland cypress, young	3	4
Green Giant, optimal	3	4
Weeping willow (S. babylonica)	3	3
Baldcypress	1.60	3.30
Quaking aspen	2	3
Pin oak	2.50	2.50
Silver maple, 43-yr average	1.90	1.90
River birch	1.50	2
Green Giant, 30-yr average	1	1

Three of the numbers carry caveats. The dawn redwood figure is one tree, not a species average. The tulip poplar figure is for sprouts from cut stumps, which outgrow seedlings because the old root system feeds them. The weeping willow range is the Arbor Day Foundation‘s cultivar spread; it lists Salix babylonica itself at 3 feet a year.

How fast is “fast” for a tree?

A fast-growing tree adds 25 inches or more of height a year, a medium grower 13 to 24 inches and a slow grower 12 inches or less, in the scale from Michael Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants that the Arbor Day Foundation published. Every tree in the ranking clears 25 inches in at least some years.

The bigger gap is between best-year and long-run rates. The same Silvics chapter that gives hybrid poplar 4 to 6 feet a year early says mean annual height growth falls to 3 to 4.5 feet after 10 to 20 years. NC State says quaking aspen grows rapidly for its first 10 to 20 years and then slows (NC State Extension).

Number	Value	Source
“Fast” growth threshold	25 in. or more a year	Dirr, via Arbor Day Foundation (archived page)
Hybrid poplar, early height growth	4 to 6 ft a year	USDA FS Silvics, Demeritt (1990)
Hybrid poplar, after 10 to 20 years	3 to 4.5 ft a year	USDA FS Silvics
Best clone, irrigated Nevada trial (OP-367)	9.3 ft a year	University of Nevada, Reno Extension
Leyland cypress, young trees	3 to 4 ft a year	Clemson HGIC
Thuja ‘Green Giant’, original clone	30 ft at 30 years	U.S. National Arboretum
Establishment period, zones 4 and 5	About 12 months per inch of trunk diameter	Iowa State Extension

Why do headline growth rates beat what a yard tree does?

Headline rates come from ideal conditions. The University of Nevada, Reno hybrid poplar trial that produced 9.3 feet a year for clone OP-367 irrigated every 2 weeks and ran fertilizer, weed and rodent control on 5 by 5 foot spacing (UNR Extension). Close spacing pushes trees upward, so trial heights overstate what one yard tree will do.

Tree	What retail and summary pages commonly say	What the primary source says	Source
Thuja ‘Green Giant’	3 to 5 ft a year	“30 feet at 30 years”; NC State: 3 to 4 ft “in optimal conditions”; JC Raulston Arboretum reports 2 to 4 ft	USNA; NC State Extension Gardener
Leyland cypress	3 to 5 ft a year	NC State: “up to 3 feet per year” in early years; UF/IFAS: 3 to 4 ft	NC State; UF/IFAS
Hybrid poplar	5 to 8 ft a year	Early height growth averages 4 to 6 ft; 6.7 to 9.3 ft only under trial irrigation and fertilization	Silvics; UNR
Weeping willow	Up to 8 ft a year	Salix babylonica: 3 ft a year; trees usually short-lived to about 30 years	Arbor Day; UF/IFAS

The arboretum’s Green Giant figure describes the original tree, received from Denmark in 1967 and grown at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. Thirty feet in 30 years works out to 1 foot a year on average, a third of the 3-foot best-year figure. Both can be true: young screens put on 3 feet in good years, then slow as they near mature height.

What is the strongest fast-growing tree?

Pin oak and northern red oak have the strongest wood of the trees extension services rate as fast: 8,300 lbf/in² green modulus of rupture in the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook (2021), the same as white oak. Red maple follows at 7,700. Willow, white pine, aspen and cottonwood sit at 4,800 to 5,300.

Modulus of rupture measures how much bending load a small, knot-free stick of wood carries before it snaps. It does not capture weak branch unions, so the table pairs it with the University of Florida IFAS breakage rating for each tree and the root warnings extension services publish. NC State rates both pin oak and northern red oak as rapid growers.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Tree	Green modulus of rupture (lbf/in²)	Specific gravity (green)	UF/IFAS breakage rating	Failure or root note (Source)
Weeping willow	Willow, black: 4,800	0.36	Susceptible to breakage at the crotch or in the wood	Keep away from water and sewer lines (UF/IFAS)
Eastern white pine	4,900	0.34	Not rated	Blister rust “usually fatal” (NC State)
Quaking aspen	5,100	0.35	Not rated	Hypoxylon canker kills 1 to 2 percent of aspen a year east of the Rockies (Silvics)
Eastern cottonwood (a hybrid poplar parent)	5,300	0.37	Not rated	Poplar branches “break when stressed by wind or snow” (Missouri Botanical Garden)
Silver maple	5,800	0.44	Susceptible to breakage	Roots invade drains and water lines (Silvics)
Tulip poplar (yellow-poplar)	6,000	0.40	Resistant, though the sheet says the soft wood is “reportedly subject to storm damage”	“Weak-wooded and susceptible to limb breakage” (NC State)
American sycamore	6,500	0.46	Resistant	Anthracnose in wet, cool springs (UF/IFAS)
Baldcypress	6,600	0.42	Resistant	Hurricane winds “rarely overturn them” (Silvics)
Red maple	7,700	0.49	Susceptible (species); resistant (‘October Glory’)	UF/IFAS ST041; ST046
Pin oak	8,300	0.58	Not rated	NC State: rapid growth
Northern red oak	8,300	0.56	Not rated	NC State: rapid growth
River birch	Not tested	Not tested	Resistant	Short-lived (30 to 40 years) in many urban settings (UF/IFAS)
Leyland cypress	Not tested	Not tested	Resistant	“Large specimens tend to topple over” (NC State)

1. Black willow4,800
2. Eastern white pine4,900
3. Quaking aspen5,100
4. Eastern cottonwood5,300
5. Silver maple5,800
6. Yellow-poplar (tulip poplar)6,000
7. American sycamore6,500
8. Baldcypress6,600
9. Red maple7,700
10. Pin oak8,300
11. Northern red oak8,300

Source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-282, 2021), Table 5-3b Small clear specimens, green condition. Does not measure branch attachment strength.

Show the numbers

	Modulus of rupture, green (lbf/in2)
Black willow	4,800
Eastern white pine	4,900
Quaking aspen	5,100
Eastern cottonwood	5,300
Silver maple	5,800
Yellow-poplar (tulip poplar)	6,000
American sycamore	6,500
Baldcypress	6,600
Red maple	7,700
Pin oak	8,300
Northern red oak	8,300

How long does it take a fast-growing tree to reach 20 feet?

A 6-foot hybrid poplar can reach 20 feet in about 3.3 to 4.5 years, and a Leyland cypress or Thuja ‘Green Giant’ in about 4.5 to 5.7 years, if they grow at their published best-year rates after one year of establishment. At the arboretum’s long-run Green Giant pace of 1 foot a year, the same tree needs 15 years.

The arithmetic: years = establishment years + (20 feet minus planted height) ÷ feet per year. Iowa State Extension puts establishment at about 12 months per inch of trunk diameter in zones 4 and 5, so a 1-inch tree spends about one year rooting in. The model assumes no height gain in that year, which is conservative.

Tree	Planted height	Establishment (years)	Growth (ft/yr, source table)	Years of growth for 14 ft	Years to 20 ft
Hybrid poplar	6 ft	1	4 to 6	14 ÷ 6 = 2.3 to 14 ÷ 4 = 3.5	3.3 to 4.5
Leyland cypress	6 ft	1	3 to 4	14 ÷ 4 = 3.5 to 14 ÷ 3 = 4.7	4.5 to 5.7
Thuja ‘Green Giant’ (optimal)	6 ft	1	3 to 4	3.5 to 4.7	4.5 to 5.7
Weeping willow	6 ft	1	3	4.7	5.7
Quaking aspen	6 ft	1	2 to 3	4.7 to 7.0	5.7 to 8.0
Pin oak	6 ft	1	2.5	5.6	6.6
Baldcypress	6 ft	1	1.6 to 3.3	4.2 to 8.8	5.2 to 9.8
Silver maple	6 ft	1	1.9	7.4	8.4
River birch	6 ft	1	1.5 to 2	7.0 to 9.3	8.0 to 10.3
Thuja ‘Green Giant’ (30-year average)	6 ft	1	1.0	14.0	15.0

1. Hybrid poplar3.30
2. Leyland cypress4.50
3. Green Giant, optimal4.50
4. Weeping willow5.70
5. Quaking aspen5.70
6. Pin oak6.60
7. Baldcypress5.20
8. Silver maple8.40
9. River birch8
10. Green Giant, 30-yr average15

Source: Green Industry Report calculation from the growth table; establishment period from Iowa State Extension. October 2026 Years = 1 establishment year + 14 ft divided by the published growth rate.

Show the numbers

	Fewest years	Most years
Hybrid poplar	3.30	4.50
Leyland cypress	4.50	5.70
Green Giant, optimal	4.50	5.70
Weeping willow	5.70	5.70
Quaking aspen	5.70	8
Pin oak	6.60	6.60
Baldcypress	5.20	9.80
Silver maple	8.40	8.40
River birch	8	10.30
Green Giant, 30-yr average	15	15

The check against a real record holds up. NC State reports Leyland cypress reaching 50 feet in 15 years, about 3.3 feet a year (NC State Extension), inside the model’s 3 to 4 foot band. UF/IFAS puts baldcypress at 40 to 50 feet in 15 to 25 years (UF/IFAS), which is where its wide range comes from.

What is the fastest-growing tree for privacy?

Leyland cypress and Thuja ‘Green Giant’ are the fastest evergreen screens, both rated 3 to 4 feet a year when young. Green Giant is the safer pick in zones 5 to 7: the U.S. National Arboretum calls it “an excellent substitute for Leyland cypress,” which NC State says suffers incurable cankers and root rots and lives 20 to 50 years.

Factor	Leyland cypress	Thuja ‘Green Giant’	Source
Growth when young	3 to 4 ft a year	3 to 4 ft a year (optimal); more than 3 ft once established	Clemson HGIC; NC State; UGA
Mature size	60 to 70 ft tall, 10 to 15 ft wide	40 to 60 ft tall, 12 to 18 ft wide	NC State; NC State
USDA zones	6a to 10b	5 to 7 (USNA); 5a to 8b (NC State)	NC State; USNA
Spacing advised by extension	At least 15 ft apart	15 ft apart in the row	UGA Extension; UGA CAES
Main disease risk	Seiridium and Botryosphaeria canker; Armillaria and Phytophthora root rot	No serious pest or disease problems	NC State; USNA
Lifespan	20 to 50 years	40 to 60 years	NC State

Close planting is the usual mistake. UGA Extension says Leylands planted close together for a faster screen invite disease and decline, and advises at least 15 feet between trees (UGA Extension, Towns and Union counties). NC State’s Pender County office warns that fast growers “are typically weak wooded and short lived” (NC State Extension).

Count trees with this rule: trees = (row length ÷ spacing, rounded up) + 1. The table shows what spacing does to a 100-foot property line.

Row length	Spacing	Calculation	Trees needed
100 ft	15 ft (UGA advice)	100 ÷ 15 = 6.7, round up to 7, plus 1	8
100 ft	12 ft	100 ÷ 12 = 8.3, round up to 9, plus 1	10
100 ft	8 ft (common retail advice)	100 ÷ 8 = 12.5, round up to 13, plus 1	14

If the screen has to work on day one, a 6-foot fence does what no tree can; compare prices in our fence installation cost guide.

Pampas grass is sometimes planted as a fast screen, but it is a Class C noxious weed in Washington; check the state rules in our pampas grass guide before you plant it.

How far from a house should you plant a fast-growing tree?

Plant large fast growers at least 20 feet from walls and 50 feet from power lines, per Mississippi State University Extension. Colorado State’s stricter rule is two-thirds of mature height from any structure (CSU PlantTalk 1120): about 40 to 53 feet for a silver maple that matures at 60 to 80 feet.

Tree	Mature height	MSU minimum from walls	CSU two-thirds-height rule	Root note (Source)
Tulip poplar	80 to 120 ft	20 ft	53 to 80 ft	Limb breakage in high winds or ice (NC State)
Silver maple	60 to 80 ft	20 ft	40 to 53 ft	Roots grow into septic fields and broken sewer pipes (UF/IFAS)
Leyland cypress	60 to 70 ft	20 ft	40 to 47 ft	Shallow roots; large trees topple (NC State)
Red maple	60 to 75 ft	20 ft	40 to 50 ft	Large surface roots (UF/IFAS)
Hybrid poplar	40 to 60 ft	20 ft	27 to 40 ft	Roots spread as far as the tree is tall (NDSU)
Thuja ‘Green Giant’	40 to 60 ft	20 ft	27 to 40 ft	No root warning in USNA or NC State sheets
River birch	40 to 50 ft	20 ft	27 to 33 ft	No root warning in UF/IFAS sheet
Weeping willow	30 to 50 ft	15 to 20 ft	20 to 33 ft	Roots spread about 3 times the trunk-to-canopy-edge distance (UF/IFAS)

Sewer advice is consistent across extension services. Virginia Tech’s Tree Steward Manual says willows, poplars and silver maples “can be destructively invasive near water or sewer pipes” (Virginia Tech). NC State’s Union County office adds that roots “cannot create cracks in your sewer pipe,” only exploit existing gaps (NC State Extension), so a tight pipe matters as much as the species.

A fast tree planted too close tends to end as a removal job; see what that costs in our tree removal cost guide and the stump grinding price guide.

Which fast-growing trees are banned from sale?

As of October 2026, Callery (Bradford) pear, which NC State rates a rapid grower, is banned from sale in Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, with Illinois (2028) and Missouri (2029) phasing it out. Tree-of-heaven, Chinese tallow, Siberian elm and Russian olive, all rapid growers per NC State, appear on other state lists.

State	Fast growers restricted	Rule	What it does
Ohio	Callery pear, tree-of-heaven, Siberian elm, Russian olive	Ohio Adm. Code 901:5-30-01	No sale, propagation or distribution; Callery pear exemption ended January 7, 2023
Pennsylvania	Callery pear, tree-of-heaven	PDA noxious weed list, Class B	Cannot be sold, transported, planted or propagated; Callery pear added in December 2021 (51 Pa.B. 7711)
South Carolina	Callery (Bradford) pear, Russian olive	S.C. Code Regs. 27-135, State Plant Pest List	Sale illegal from October 1, 2024 (Clemson HGIC)
Illinois	Callery pear, tree-of-heaven	Exotic Weeds Act, 525 ILCS 10	Callery pear rules take effect January 1, 2028 (University of Illinois Extension, Oct. 2025)
Missouri	Callery pear (all cultivars)	SB 105 (2025), RSMo 263.070	Nursery dealers may not sell it on or after January 1, 2029
Indiana	Tree-of-heaven	312 IAC 18-3-25	Enforceable since April 18, 2020; Callery pear not listed
Texas	Chinese tallow	4 Tex. Admin. Code §19.300	Selling, distributing or importing it is an offense
Florida	Chinese tallow	Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007	Noxious weed; moving or releasing it requires a permit
Colorado	Russian olive	8 CCR 1203-5, Part 9.0	May not be sold as nursery stock

For buyers searching “fast growing trees Ohio” or “fast growing trees South Carolina,” the practical rule is to skip any listing for Bradford, Cleveland Select, Aristocrat or Chanticleer pear; all are Pyrus calleryana cultivars listed by NC State Extension, and Missouri’s law names “all varieties and cultivars” (Missouri SB 105). Texas buyers can match species to their county with the Texas A&M Texas Tree Planting Guide.

This page is general information, not legal advice. State plant lists change; confirm with the agency linked for your state before you buy, sell or plant.

Can you make a newly planted tree grow faster?

Water and mulch speed growth; fertilizer usually does not. Iowa State Extension says it is “generally not necessary to fertilize newly planted trees,” and recommends fertilizing only if growth is poor 2 to 3 years after planting. Steady water through the establishment period, about 12 months per inch of trunk diameter, matters most.

1. Water at least once a week, 1 to 2 gallons per inch of trunk diameter each time, through the first growing seasons (University of Illinois Extension).
2. Spread 2 to 4 inches of wood chips or shredded bark, keeping mulch at least 6 inches from the trunk (Iowa State Extension). Our mulch calculator sizes the order.
3. Skip fertilizer in year 1. If leaves are sparse or yellow-green 2 to 3 years after planting, apply an all-purpose fertilizer at the start of the second growing season at the label rate (Iowa State Extension).
4. Prune only competing leaders, narrow crotches, crossing, broken or diseased branches and suckers (Iowa State Extension); structural pruning prices are in our tree trimming cost guide.
5. Keep grass and string trimmers off the root zone: mulch rings reduce turf competition and trunk damage, per the same Iowa State guidance.

Which fast-growing tree fits your yard?

Match the tree to the job and the site before the growth rate. For a screen in zones 5 to 7, plant Thuja ‘Green Giant’ 15 feet apart; for wet soil, baldcypress or river birch; for long-lived shade within a decade, pin oak or northern red oak. Keep willows, silver maple and poplars at least 20 feet from the house and sewer lines.

For a seasonal screen under 6 feet rather than a tree, a row of feather reed grass at 24 inches on center takes 10 plants per 20 feet; see our Karl Foerster grass guide for spacing and costs.

If your situation is	Do this	Why (source)
Spot is within 20 ft of the house, a septic field or a sewer line	Skip willows, silver maple, poplars and cottonwood; choose a small tree	MSU 20 ft minimum for large trees; VT and UF/IFAS root warnings (MSU)
You need a year-round screen in zones 5 to 7	Thuja ‘Green Giant’, 15 ft apart	Rated 3 to 4 ft a year; no serious pests (USNA; UGA)
You need a screen in zones 8b to 10b	Leyland cypress at least 15 ft apart, with good drainage; expect 20 to 50 years	NC State; UGA
Soil stays wet or floods	Baldcypress (zones 5A to 10B), river birch (4A to 9A) or red maple	UF/IFAS lists tolerance of wet soil or extended flooding (ST620; ST094)
You want shade within 10 years and a tree that lasts	Pin oak or northern red oak (zones 4a to 8b)	Rapid growth (NC State) and 8,300 lbf/in² wood (Wood Handbook)
You want a temporary windbreak or woodlot, not a yard specimen	Hybrid poplar, expecting cankers and a short useful life	Cytospora and other cankers (Silvics)
You live in Ohio, Pennsylvania or South Carolina	Do not buy Callery (Bradford) pear; it cannot legally be sold	State rules in the ban table above

1. 1Is the spot within 20 feet of the house, a septic field or a sewer line?

   YesSkip willows, silver maple, poplars and cottonwood; choose a small tree.

   NoGo to the next question

2. 2Do you need a year-round screen in zones 5 to 7?

   YesPlant Thuja 'Green Giant' 15 feet apart.

   NoGo to the next question

3. 3Do you need a screen in zones 8b to 10b?

   YesPlant Leyland cypress at least 15 feet apart on well-drained soil.

   NoGo to the next question

4. 4Does the soil stay wet or flood?

   YesChoose baldcypress, river birch or red maple.

   NoGo to the next question

5. 5Do you want shade within 10 years from a long-lived tree?

   YesChoose pin oak or northern red oak in zones 4a to 8b.

   NoGo to the next question

6. 6Is this a temporary windbreak or woodlot?

   YesHybrid poplar works; expect cankers and a short useful life.

   NoPick from the ranking table by USDA zone, and check your state sale-ban list first.

Source: Mississippi State Extension; U.S. National Arboretum; UGA Extension; UF/IFAS; NC State; USDA FS Silvics