Some take years! Or, as Warren Roberts, longtime superintendent of the UC Davis Arboretum, puts it: "A fast-growing tree is one you can sit in the shade … Color Variations and Seasonal Change. First, it has the widest natural range of any tree … But if you do, make sure you choose a fast growing tree … Not everyone wants or needs large trees. Others are Evergreen … Quaking Aspen; Populus tremuloides. Some trees and shrubs are planted for their slow growing small stature. Yes—with some careful vetting you can find fast-growing trees for privacy, shade, and decoration. As long as the ground is not frozen, however, your Shade Trees should be fine. First, refine your notion of fast growing to a growth rate of 1½ to 2 feet per year. If there were a Guinness Book of World Records for trees, the quaking aspen would be in it – several times. 12 Fast-Growing Shade Trees By Sheereen Othman | June 25, 2018. One of the most recommended fast growing shade trees is the hybrid poplar, which can grow up to 8 feet per year, and mature at about 40' to 50' high. Several of our Shade Trees transition from green to yellow and red as the seasons change, including the October Glory, Autumn Blaze, and Tulip Poplar. Not all trees and shrubs grow at the same rate. Check out these fast-growing evergreen trees and shrubs you can add to your landscape.