Growth rate in plants can vary widely. Some
take forever to put on a little more size or
cover a little more area. Others seem to
race to the next step in their growth
process.
The term
"fast growing" may imply a couple of
factors. One is that the plant may grow
faster than others in its species. Some
hostas put on divisions and grow to mature
clump size faster than others. The second
way to look at it is in terms of how it
relates to a general plant type. Silver
maples, poplars and willows, for instance,
are known as fast growing trees.
As with most
things, fast growing has both positive and
negative potentials. On the plus size, these
plants will fill the space (vertical and/or
horizontal) quickly. If you need a
groundcover or screen or have plants fill in
a bed or border, these plants will fit the
bill. However, trees called fast growers
usually put on less dense, weak wood and are
more likely to be trashy plants that fall
apart in ice or wind stores. Perennials that
grow rapidly may need to be divided more
often to maintain flowering.
