About Tree Growth Rates

• The term "growth rate" describes the amount of vertical growth that a tree adds to its height each year. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, slow-growing trees grow 12 inches or less per year. Medium growth rates add 13 to 24 inches of new growth per year, and fast-growing trees can grow 25 inches or more in a year.
  
  

Slow-Growing Ash Trees

• One of North America's most widely distributed ash trees, the black ash (F. nigra), grows in low-lying, swampy areas in the northeastern regions of the continent. Because of the habitat in which it lives, the black ash grows slowly, and environmental conditions may slow its growth even further. The U.S. Forest Service reports that muddy soils high in organic matter may cause the tree to grow only 30 feet in 50 years.
  
  

Medium-Growing Ash Trees

• The white ash (F. Americana) is one of North America's most widespread ashes, growing through the central and eastern U.S. states and Canadian provinces. The white ash grows best on fertile, well-drained soils at lower elevations. As a young tree, the white ash begins growing very slowly, sometimes reaching only 5 feet in height after 15 years of growth. However, once it establishes its root system, the white ash grows more rapidly, and at 40 years, the average ash surveyed by the U.S. Forest Service measured 69 feet in height. Other medium growing ashes include the blue ash (F. quandrangulata), singleleaf ash (F. anomala), Carolina ash (F. caroliniana) and velvet ash (F. velutina).
  
  

Fast-Growing Ash Trees

• The green ash (F. pennsylvanica) grows in all but the Pacific Coast states and provinces and northernmost Canadian provinces. Green ash grows primarily in low-lying, wet areas, such as swamps or along stream banks. It begins its life as a medium-growing tree, growing about 1-1/2 foot per year, after which it begins growing rapidly. At 27 years, trees reach almost 80 feet in height. Other fast-growing ashes include the pumpkin ash (F. profunda).