What is the fastest-growing shade tree for Colorado?

All 43 trees on this page are rated fast growing, so speed alone does not pick a winner. 23 of them carry a weak-wood or short-life flag, and the quickest of all are the cottonwoods and willows. For fast shade that lasts, start with thornless honeylocust, American sycamore, and London planetree.

Which fast-growing trees should I avoid?

9 of the 43 are rated Not Recommended on the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List, including silver maple, Freeman maple (Autumn Blaze), ash, and Callery pear. They stay on this list so you can look them up; our trees to avoid page covers why the common ones struggle here.

Are cottonwoods and willows good shade trees?

In the right spot. Native narrowleaf cottonwood, peachleaf willow, and Highland cottonwood grow fast and take our soil, but the 2024 list flags them for weak wood or short life, so give them a big, open space away from the house, roofs and wires, and plan a successor.

How can I make a new shade tree grow faster?

Get the roots going. CSU Extension says to water daily for the first 1 to 2 weeks, every 2 to 3 days until week 12, then weekly until established, and to keep a 4 to 5 inch wood chip mulch ring off the trunk: mulched trees typically grow about 20% more than trees with grass to the trunk. Skip high-nitrogen fertilizer, which favors leaves over roots.

How much water do these trees need?

Once established, the 43 trees here are rated 15 low to medium water, 16 medium water, 8 medium to high water, and 4 high water. Every one needs regular deep watering while it establishes, which CSU Extension puts at about one year per inch of trunk diameter, plus monthly winter watering in dry spells.

Do fast-growing trees have weaker wood?

Often, yes. Fast growth tends to come with softer wood and a shorter life, which is why silver maple is on our trees-to-avoid list. 23 of the 43 trees here carry a weak-wood or short-life flag (Boxelder 'Sensation' Maple, Highland Poplar (cottonwood), and Lanceleaf Poplar (cottonwood)). If you want speed and staying power, look at the long-lived ones: American Sycamore, London Planetree 'EXCLAMATION!®', and Red Maple.

How big do these trees get?

Mature heights range from about 20 to 100 ft across the 43 trees on this list. Each plant's page lists its exact mature size and spread.

Which of these are Colorado native?

7 of the 43 trees are Colorado natives, including Boxelder 'Sensation' Maple, Highland Poplar (cottonwood), Lanceleaf Poplar (cottonwood), and Narrowleaf Poplar (cottonwood).

How were these trees selected?

All 43 trees are rated fast growing and reach 40 ft or more in our plant records, which carry each tree's rating and site flags from the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List; each tree page lists its own sources. The top picks follow the rule stated with them. This is a reference guide, not a paid listing.

Fast-growing shade trees for Colorado's Front Range

Compiled by Nicholas Julia · Reviewed against the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List, CSU Extension & Plant Select® · Updated 2026-10-19

Quick answer

The best fast-growing shade trees for Front Range yards are thornless honeylocust, American sycamore, and London planetree. The fastest trees are often the weakest-wooded or shortest-lived, so these picks favor trees that grow fast and hold up. On a big, open lot, native narrowleaf cottonwood and peachleaf willow grow even faster but break and fade sooner.

Want summer shade sooner? These large-canopy trees put on height quickly for the Front Range. Each is a fast grower that matures to roughly 40 feet or taller. Growth rate depends on water and site, so deep-water young trees to get them established.

Top picks

Jump to

Fast and built to last
Fast natives with a shorter run
Getting it growing
Full list

Every tree here is rated fast growing and matures to 40 ft or more, so the picks rank on whether a tree holds up. Each pick is rated Recommended or Recommended for Most Sites on the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List, hardy to zone 4, fine in alkaline soil, not a high-water tree, and free of invasive and fails-here flags. The first group carries no weak-wood or short-life flag; the second is Colorado natives that do. Picks then score a point each for Colorado native, low-to-medium water, Recommended for Most Sites, long-lived, no iron chlorosis flag, and in stock at a retailer we track, with ties going alphabetically and one pick per species.

Left out of the picks on purpose (they stay in the full list): ash, because emerald ash borer is in Colorado; elms, Siberian elm included, because Dutch elm disease is still around; Freeman maples such as Autumn Blaze, which Denver bans from the street right-of-way, and silver maple (see Autumn Blaze maple alternatives); Russian olive; and non-native willows and poplars flagged for weak wood or short life, since a native cottonwood or willow does the same job.

Fast and built to last

1Thornless Common Honeylocust (NORTHERN ACCLAIM®)Rated Recommended for Most Sites, yellow fall color, 30 to 45 ft tall, takes a hot south wall. Note: wrap young trees.
2American SycamoreRated Recommended for Most Sites, rounded canopy, 70 to 100 ft tall. Note: anthracnose. Watch for: can yellow from iron chlorosis in alkaline clay.
3London Planetree 'EXCLAMATION!®'Rated Recommended for Most Sites, rounded canopy, 60 to 90 ft tall. Note: anthracnose. Watch for: can yellow from iron chlorosis in alkaline clay.

Fast natives with a shorter run

1Narrowleaf Poplar (cottonwood)Rated Recommended for Most Sites, gold and yellow fall color, 30 to 50 ft tall. Note: vigorous suckering; forms colonies. Use in native areas only. Watch for: brittle wood, so keep it clear of roofs, wires and drives; short-lived, so plan a successor.
2Peachleaf WillowRated Recommended for Most Sites, rounded canopy, 25 to 50 ft tall. Note: more common as a multistem. Watch for: brittle wood, so keep it clear of roofs, wires and drives; short-lived, so plan a successor.
3Highland Poplar (cottonwood)Rated Recommended for Most Sites, gold and yellow fall color, 50 to 70 ft tall. Note: too big for small yards. Watch for: brittle wood, so keep it clear of roofs, wires and drives; short-lived, so plan a successor.
4Lanceleaf Poplar (cottonwood)Gold and yellow fall color, 40 to 60 ft tall. Note: too big for small yards; Plant male cultivar. Watch for: brittle wood, so keep it clear of roofs, wires and drives; short-lived, so plan a successor.
5Plains 'Jeronimus' Poplar (cottonwood)Gold and yellow fall color, 50 to 70 ft tall. Note: too big for small yards; Choose male cultivar. Watch for: short-lived, so plan a successor.

Getting a young shade tree growing

A fast species only grows fast once its roots take hold, and in dry Front Range clay that takes care. Per CSU's winter watering fact sheet, a tree takes about one year per inch of trunk diameter to establish, so a 2-inch tree needs at least two years of help.

Water often at first, then weekly. CSU Extension says to water daily for the first 1 to 2 weeks, every 2 to 3 days through week 12, then weekly until the roots are established. Check the soil and water to need, not by the calendar alone.
Water deep, not just the root ball. The winter watering sheet says trees take up water best when it soaks in slowly to about 12 inches, spread under the dripline and beyond.
Give it a mulch ring. CSU puts 4 to 5 inches of wood chips over the backfill and beyond, kept off the root ball and never piled against the trunk. Trees with a mulch ring typically grow about 20% more than trees with grass up to the trunk.
Skip the high-nitrogen feed. A new tree needs very little fertilizer, and CSU warns high nitrogen can push leaf growth at the expense of roots.
Stake only if you need to. CSU's planting guide says a tree set on firm, undisturbed soil does not need staking in most yards; stake for extreme wind or to protect it from people.
Keep watering through winter. In a dry winter, water young trees about once or twice a month when it is above 40 degrees F and the ground is not frozen, at midday so it soaks in before night. A rule of thumb from the same sheet: about 10 gallons per inch of trunk diameter.

Plan your garden

Not sure what to plant? The finder matches Front Range trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcover to your soil, water, sun, and zone.

Find my trees

Compare these trees at a glance

Plant	Mature height	Water	Colorado native	Hardiness	Growth rate
Boxelder 'Sensation' Maple	30 to 40 ft	low to medium water	Yes	USDA 2 to 9	Fast
Highland Poplar (cottonwood)	50 to 70 ft	medium water	Yes	USDA 3 to 8	Fast
Lanceleaf Poplar (cottonwood)	40 to 60 ft	medium water	Yes	USDA 3 to 8	Fast
Narrowleaf Poplar (cottonwood)	30 to 50 ft	low to medium water	Yes	USDA 3 to 8	Fast
Peachleaf Willow	25 to 50 ft	low to medium water	Yes	USDA 3 to 8	Fast
Plains 'Jeronimus' Poplar (cottonwood)	50 to 70 ft	medium water	Yes	USDA 3 to 8	Fast
Quaking Aspen Poplar (cottonwood)	20 to 50 ft	medium water	Yes	USDA 1 to 6	Fast
'Emerald Sunshine' Elm	35 to 45 ft	medium water	No	USDA 4 to 9	Fast
'Frontier' Elm	40 to 50 ft	low to medium water	No	USDA 4 to 9	Fast
'New Horizon' Elm	40 to 50 ft	low to medium water	No	USDA 4 to 9	Fast
'Prospector' Elm	40 to 50 ft	low to medium water	No	USDA 4 to 9	Fast
ACCOLADE® ('Morton') Elm	50 to 60 ft	low to medium water	No	USDA 4 to 9	Fast

Ordered Colorado-native first, then alphabetically, not a quality ranking. Full list below.

All 43 plants

Explore all fast-growing shade trees in the interactive finder →

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest-growing shade tree for Colorado?: All 43 trees on this page are rated fast growing, so speed alone does not pick a winner. 23 of them carry a weak-wood or short-life flag, and the quickest of all are the cottonwoods and willows. For fast shade that lasts, start with thornless honeylocust, American sycamore, and London planetree.
Which fast-growing trees should I avoid?: 9 of the 43 are rated Not Recommended on the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List, including silver maple, Freeman maple (Autumn Blaze), ash, and Callery pear. They stay on this list so you can look them up; our trees to avoid page covers why the common ones struggle here.
Are cottonwoods and willows good shade trees?: In the right spot. Native narrowleaf cottonwood, peachleaf willow, and Highland cottonwood grow fast and take our soil, but the 2024 list flags them for weak wood or short life, so give them a big, open space away from the house, roofs and wires, and plan a successor.
How can I make a new shade tree grow faster?: Get the roots going. CSU Extension says to water daily for the first 1 to 2 weeks, every 2 to 3 days until week 12, then weekly until established, and to keep a 4 to 5 inch wood chip mulch ring off the trunk: mulched trees typically grow about 20% more than trees with grass to the trunk. Skip high-nitrogen fertilizer, which favors leaves over roots.
How much water do these trees need?: Once established, the 43 trees here are rated 15 low to medium water, 16 medium water, 8 medium to high water, and 4 high water. Every one needs regular deep watering while it establishes, which CSU Extension puts at about one year per inch of trunk diameter, plus monthly winter watering in dry spells.
Do fast-growing trees have weaker wood?: Often, yes. Fast growth tends to come with softer wood and a shorter life, which is why silver maple is on our trees-to-avoid list. 23 of the 43 trees here carry a weak-wood or short-life flag (Boxelder 'Sensation' Maple, Highland Poplar (cottonwood), and Lanceleaf Poplar (cottonwood)). If you want speed and staying power, look at the long-lived ones: American Sycamore, London Planetree 'EXCLAMATION!®', and Red Maple.
How big do these trees get?: Mature heights range from about 20 to 100 ft across the 43 trees on this list. Each plant's page lists its exact mature size and spread.
Which of these are Colorado native?: 7 of the 43 trees are Colorado natives, including Boxelder 'Sensation' Maple, Highland Poplar (cottonwood), Lanceleaf Poplar (cottonwood), and Narrowleaf Poplar (cottonwood).
How were these trees selected?: All 43 trees are rated fast growing and reach 40 ft or more in our plant records, which carry each tree's rating and site flags from the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List; each tree page lists its own sources. The top picks follow the rule stated with them. This is a reference guide, not a paid listing.

Sources

The planting and watering guidance comes from the CSU Extension pages below. Growth rates, sizes, water needs, lifespan and the weak-wood, short-life and chlorosis flags come from each tree's record, which carries its rating from the 2024 list; each tree page lists its own sources.