By Matthew Chappell
University of Georgia

Just like automobiles, houses and people, trees come in many shapes and sizes. Before adding a new tree to your home landscape, make sure you select the right tree for the right site.

First determine what size and shape tree you want for the particular area. For example, if you have a courtyard, you may want a small tree such as a dogwood rather than a stately yet large sawtooth oak.

Next, determine what ornamental features you would like your tree to have, such as fall color, blooms and/or bloom color, ornamental bark and evergreen or deciduous leaves.

The following is a short list of fast growing trees that can be planted virtually anywhere in Georgia. The majority of these tree species and cultivars are readily available at retail garden centers or from your preferred landscape contractor. Please note some species also list cultivars (clones) that typically perform well.

Small trees (under 30 feet tall)

Acer buergerianum (trident maple), ‘Aeryn’ (Aeryn trident maple)

Cercis canadensis (redbud, Judas tree)
Cercis reniformis ‘Oklahoma’ (pink Oklahoma redbud), ‘Texas White’ (white Oklahoma redbud)
Magnolia x soulangiana (saucer magnolia)
Prunus cerasifera ‘Thundercloud’ (Thundercloud ornamental plum)
Pinus nigra (Austrian pine)
Pinus thunbergii (Japanese black pine)

Large trees (over 30 feet tall)

Betula nigra (river birch), ‘Little King’ (Little King river birch), ‘Dura Heat’ (Dura Heat river birch)
Gleditsia triacanthos var. intermis ‘Shademaster’ (Shademaster honeylocust), ‘Skycole’ (Skycole honeylocust)
Liriodendron tulipeifera (tulip poplar), ‘Fastigiatum’ (columnar tulip poplar)
Metasequoia glyptostroboides (dawn redwood)
Quercus acutissima (sawtooth oak)
Quercus lyrata (overcup oak)
Quercus shumardii (shumard oak), ‘Panache’ (Panache shumard oak)
Taxodium distichum (bald cypress)
Ulmus americana ‘Princeton’ (Princeton elm), ‘Valley Forge’ (Valley Forge elm)
Ulmus parviflora ‘Bosque’ (Bosque Chinese elm)
Zelkova serrata (zelkova)
Cedrus deodara (deodara cedar), ‘Spring Grove’ (Spring Grove deodara cedar), ‘Bracken’s Best Deodar’ (Bracken’s Best deodara cedar)
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yoshino’ (Yoshino Japanese cedar), ‘Ben Franklin’ (Ben Franklin Japanese cedar)
Cupressus arizonica var. glabra ‘Carolina Sapphire’ (Carolina Sapphire Arizona cypress)
Juniperus chinensis ‘Kaizuka’ (Hollywood juniper)
Junipiris virginiana ‘Burkii’ (Burkii eastern red cedar), ‘Manhattan Blue’ (Manhattan Blue eastern red cedar), ‘Glauca’ (Glauca eastern red cedar)
Magnolia grandiflora (magnolia), ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ (Bracken’s Brown Beauty magnolia), ‘Edith Bogue’ (Edith Bogue magnolia)
Magnolia virginiana (Sweetbay magnolia)
Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’ (Emerald arborvitae), ‘Dragon’s Spire’ (Dragon’s Spire arborvitae), ‘Mission’ (Mission arborvitae)