But then, there’s impatience: You’re planting that tree for some shade, not in thirty years but now! Of all the native hardwoods, the sycamore perhaps come closest to satisfying that immediate desire because it grows fast enough for you to notice improvement over time. Depending on how strong they are growing, these trees may add three to six feet of height per year (see the infographic), and that makes a difference. Especially if you plant them young; from one spring to the next, you know something has happened.
Not just waiting for what? You can see on the chart how it breaks down growth in stages, helping you set reasonable expectations so that your expectation for the growth don’t get out of control. That initial ten years is where it realy gets going. A young sycamore will shoot up fast and gain several feet each year until reaching roughly two decades of age.
Why Sycamore Trees Grow Fast
Once it’s through its initial spurt of growth, it begins to slow way down vertically. This transition can be confusing to the owner who think there’s something wrong with tree. But no. Nothing is broken. It’s just changing focus, moving more energy from upward growth to expansion of canopy and trunk size. Widening is mistaken by many for a slowdown so know that it’s a normal part of development.
The rate of growth is also determined by location, which most gardeners do not appreciate enough. A sycamore planted by a riverbank will grow faster because soil is fertile and water never dries up. In contrast, a tree planted in poor conditions, such as on a dry, rocky hillside, will grow slower where the soil are unsuitable.
Because of this climate zone effect (the visual guide), trees in cooler northern climates will have shorter growing seasons, meaning fewer inches gained each year. However, the longer frost-free period mean better fall food production and buildup of mass into late fall in optimal conditions.
One thing to note is that sun is necessary for serious growth. To grow as tall as they are capable of growing, these trees requires full sun exposure. If you plant a sycamore beneath an old oak, or with some part of it in the shadow of your house, it will greatly limit that tree’s growth and may reduce its yearly increase in height by almost half. Without light, it’s like fuel to the tree, why expend all that energy growing when it can conserv?
A great location for a tree doesn’t always mean that it will thrive, either. Because trees are trying to get an early jump on things in a spring like we’ve had, they’re prone to having their tender youngest leaves and shoots killed by anthracnose, particularly if you have high humidity. Repeated attacks like this year after year weaken a full-sized tree, making its once-lush canopy more scrawny. To minimize this threat, keep trees well aerated by planting them in an open spot rather than under heavy shrubs; this allow leaf surfaces to dry off faster.
Giant sycamores has a huge size and aggressive root systems, so you might not want one. However, they make landscaping feel like fast-forwarding into the future, where you see trees grow up before your eyes. You notice the change. The history’s there in the bark; it begins as smooth and greenish, then peels to reveal creamy white beneath. At the age when the canopy shades your lawn, it has been up high all that time looking bright-colored, but down low the trunk is dark and furrowed.
It’s an investment not just for the far-off future but also for the near: In fact, you get results you can see even in just one season. You don’t need to wait your entire life. By the time it reaches its new height next year, you would of understand why growers want such a fast-growing tree that looks so livivly right now.