How Quickly Does An Oak Tree Grow?

How fast do oak trees live

Are you thinking about planting trees in your home landscape? You might want to do it for increasing the value of your property or maybe add a great visual appeal to it.

No matter what your list of reasons looks like, growing different varieties of oak trees will be a great choice. Keeping in mind how fast does an oak tree grow, these long-lived, durable trees can offer you shade and add elegance to your house.

They also provide shelter for wildlife. You can most often notice them on the streets because they can grow well in pollution.

Types of Fast-Growing Oak Trees

Oak trees are well-known for their attractive foliage, rounded crown, and big canopy. In their younger years, the oak trees can grow about 2-3 feet in one year. Even the fast-growing oak species experience quick growth in the starting 10 to 15 years.

But when it comes to attaining full growth, these trees can take one complete decade. Check out the different kinds of oak trees and know how fast do oak trees grow per year.

Willow Oak Tree

With spear or willow-shaped leaves, these trees have a unique appearance in contrast to other oak varieties. These trees have showy foliage that turns bright green in summer and reddish-brown in fall.

It is known for its longevity and the fact that it supports wildlife with its shade and acorns. When planting these trees, make sure to choose acidic and well-drained soils.

The willow oak tree has a medium growth rate and growth 13 to 24 inches in height every year.

Shumard Oak Tree

Swamp red oak or Shumard oak is a handsome native to the South-East United States. On average, it can mature to a height of about 40-80′ and a diameter of 40’. This fast-growing tree is highly durable and easily adaptable to varied conditions.

With vibrant orange-red foliage, these trees look phenomenal. Wondering how fast does an oak tree grow? Shumard oak trees experience a 13 – 24’’ height increment per year.

Northern Red Oak Tree

In the fall, they feature attractive red leaves with bristle-shaped leaves. They are alternating, waxy, and tipped leaves with 7-11 lobes. These beautiful trees can be often seen on the streets because they can tolerate pollution.

If you are interested to know how fast does oak trees grow (northern red oak), then it is over 24 inches high every year. At the age of maturity, northern oak trees grow about 60-75 feet in height and 45 feet in diameter.

White Oak (Quercus alba)

This is another fast-growing variety with an average growth rate of below 12 to 24 feet per year. This is another variety that can survive for centuries.

White oaks are strong and huge trees with showy leaves. In fall they flaunt their reddish-burgundy leaves. While during the spring season you can produce yellowish-green and long catkins.

How Fast Do Live Oaks Grow?

It is a magnificent evergreen tree with broadened oak leaves. Having a live oak on your landscape can be picturesque. It can moderately grow with an annual increase in height of about 13 -24 feet.

These oaks are long-lived and grow in almost any kind of soil. With excellent resistance to winds, these trees can be planted as street trees.

How Long Does It Take To Grow An Oak Tree?

So, now you know that different kinds of oak trees have a different rate of growth. Some of them can grow rapidly up to three feet every year, like a Nuttall Oak tree.

While, there are other oaks that can grow only about 2 inches, like a Post Oak tree. Basically, how fast does an oak tree grow also depends on the conditions in which it has been kept. For example, weather conditions have a great impact on the rate of growth of a tree.

After you have chosen a suitable tree for your landscape make you are prepared to grow it. So, how long does it take to grow an oak tree? You can expect that growing an oak tree is not a difficult task to carry out if you have good knowledge about it. Here we have given a brief explanation of the full timeline to grow an oak tree.

A. Choose a suitable oak tree acorn

The best time to look for the acorn oak tree is the commencement of the fall season. It is a very important step to remember when you think about how quickly does an oak tree grow when planted at the correct time.

Avoid collecting acorns right from the tree. Instead of this you can look out for the fallen acorns and collect them before they start drying out. While picking the acorn make sure that most of them are has brownish-green tone. Look out for acorns with no cap. Even if you find one having a cap try to remove it.

Look out for holes in the acorn, because it can indicate a pest attack on the seed. Find out if there is any dark or moldy spot on the acorn. After gathering the right acorns, check out if they are viable you can do it by throwing them in a bucket of water. If it sinks, then you can use it to grow in your yard.

B. Day 1: Grow an oak acorn in the fall

After picking suitable acorns it’s time to grow them. Remember acorns from red or white oak require different attention. You can immediately plant a white oak acorn but for planting red acorns just wait for their inactive period to get over.

In the first few years of plantation, you can easily transplant the oak tree. Knowing the variety and how quickly does an oak tree grow is prime here. Choose a surface with nutrient-rich soil and proper soil. Take care to get rid of any unwanted grass or weeds. Use a fence to protect your acorn from animals.

C. First Month: Planting an oak seed in the fall

In this period you will need to protect the seedling from animals such as deer. You can install a mesh tree protector like Voglund Nursery Mesh Tree Protector or ANPHSIN Tree Protector Wraps. This will help your seedlings to grow without being attacked by any pests. It also provides protection against cold weather.

D. First To Twelfth Month: How Fast Does Oak Trees Grow In Spring

Whether you want to plant red oak or white oak acorns, you can plant them in spring. You can collect them and freeze them until spring arrives. Don’t forget to check them every couple of weeks for any symptoms of growth of mold.

If there are any signs, simply use new bags to restore the acorns. White oak acorns can be refrigerated in moist sand for about 4 months. After that you can plant them in a pot, on the other hand, for red oak acorns, you should wait for up to 2 months to plant them in a pot.

If you are still wondering how fast does an oak tree grow, read this full timeline till the end. Promote quick growth of an oak tree with the use of the best oak fertilizers. Before you transplant the tree make sure to initiate the root spiraling process. It is always wise to start monitoring the seedlings as they grow.

When spring arrives, it is always best to take your seedlings in the sunlight. It is because the oak trees cannot survive in the frost. Mostly it is better to keep the potted seedling in a partially shaded area. Don’t forget to water the plant on a regular basis. Beware of the grazing animals so your seedlings can grow substantially.

E. Year 1 To Year 5: Plant The Saplings Of Oak Tree

Normally, an oak tree takes about less than one year to grow as a sapling. The best thing is that it is easily possible because of grazing pests. Find a place with full sun in order to grow your oak well. If your plant needs to be transplanted do it in the first year. It is an effective tip when you are concerned about how fast do oak trees grow per year and are concerned about fastening it.

F. Year 5 – Year 50: Growing a fully adult oak tree

After your oak tree completes 5 years you don’t have to worry much about its growth rate. Based on the oak tree variety that you have chosen, it can take about 30 years to see it fully grown.

When it starts producing acorns this is a sign that your tree is mature. For example, some live oak tree species can survive for more than a decade.

This isn’t it. We have more on how fast do live oaks grow, and continue reading to learn about it.

Related: Oak Tree Care Guide | Pin Oak Growth Rate | Red Oak Growth Guide

How Much Will A Live Oak Grow In A Year?

This question comes to the mind of many people when growing live oaks – How fast does a live oak tree grow? You should know that live oak is a quick-growing and long-lived tree that is easy to maintain.

In the first year, the tree may grow up to four feet. But after that, the growth rate becomes a little slow. When kept under perfect conditions, the height of a live oak tree can increase by 24 inches in every growing season.

Normally, the live oak height climbs up to 40 to 80’. It may spread for a diameter of 60 – 100’. When look after properly, this tree can take 75 years to fully mature.

How Fast Do Oak Trees Grow In Diameter?

When choosing an oak tree many people often wonder how fast do oak trees grow in terms of width. Generally, every plant grows beautifully and is healthy when kept under optimal growing conditions.

So, as the oak tree reaches a height from 15 to 115′, its diameter range increase from 3.0 to 38.1’’. If you had any confusion about how fast does a live oak tree grow, hope the guide above helped.

FAQs

Q. How long does it take for an oak tree to reach full maturity?

A. As we already discussed the lifespan of oak trees depends on the different varieties of oaks. It starts from the stage of germination, seedling, and sapling to reaching the stage of bearing fruits.

Finally, the oak trees reach the stage of maturity which can take more than 100 years. These mature oak trees soon are ready to belong to the Ancient category.

5-year-old oak tree size – Its height could grow anywhere between 12’ to 15’.
10-year-old oak tree size – Its height could lie anywhere between 10 – 20 feet.

Q. How long does it take for an oak tree to grow 30m high?

A. Seeing how fast does an oak tree grows it usually takes 50-60 years for an oak tree to reach 30m in height. Other factors on which the tree’s growth depends are soil, sunlight, and the availability of water.

Q. How fast do white oak trees grow?

A. The growth rate of white oak can vary from slow to medium. Its rate of height can increase to maximum 12 inches to 24 inches in a single growing season.

A 20-year-old oak tree size – If planted in full sun, this oak tree can grow up to 60 feet high. This is how fast do oak trees grow per year.

Q. How long does an oak tree live?

A. The average lifetime of an oak tree may change based on the different species. Usually, the lifespan of oaks may vary between 100 to 300 years. For example, some live oak trees can live up to centuries.

Q. What is the fastest-growing oak tree?

A. Nuttall oak is the fastest growing oak tree with a height of 70 ft tall and a spread of 40 ft.