Need recommendations for fast growing, wide tree in Oregon.

I'm planning a little back patio area. I'd love to have a tree next to it that will spread it's limbs out over part of the patio so I can hang some lights in it (see 1st photo). Ideally it'd be an awesome old magnolia with big, twisting limbs or an umbrella like old Japanese maple, but that would take forever so I'm looking for something pretty fast growing.

Was looking at the Royal Empress tree (paulownia tomentosa) which has beautiful flowers and can look a lot like what I want (see photo 3), but it seems terribly invasive, especially in damp climates (Portland, OR may be the definition of that).

Evergreen would be nice, but not necessary. Flowers or cool fall foliage or some 'wow' factor would be nice. The 2nd photo is just an example of another nifty looking tree/patio.

Any thoughts or opinions are welcome! Thanks. And hopefully I'm posting in the right place.

I am more concerned about the 'little back patio'.

A large, fast growing tree is going to overwhelm it.
How about something more in scale with the size of the patio?

There are flowering cherries that spread. Read about the varieties available in your area- disease resistance, size and shape.

Dogwoods are really showy. Have a look at Eddies White Wonder.

Few others:
Vitex
Styrax
Some of the Flowering Crabapples (Malus species and hybrids) could work.
Laburnum, the Golden Chain tree
Several varieties of Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) would suit a small patio.
Tillia cordata 'Summer Sprite' is a smaller one, 'June Bride' is especially heavy blooming.

triblytree, I suggest considering the maintenance of a tree above your patio. Our deck borders a swamp with high evergreen and deciduous trees that don't actually overhang the deck but the branches are a few feet from its perimeter. Even so we have to sweep pine needles, autumn leaves, pine cones, pollen, fruit, and broken branches at alternate times of the year. These must be removed or they will rot the deck.

If your are prepared to sweep the deck dozens of times a year then you won't be disappointed with an attractive tree over the deck. A Golden Rain Tree would do well in Portland's zone 8b climate. I was born and raised in Portland and zone 8 is my favorite zone. Here is a site that lists evergreen trees for zone 8:

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/small-trees-zone-eight-27543.html

Nancy Groutsis

Thanks for the heads up. I'll dig into all those in depth in the next few days. Dogwoods are already on the shortlist. As are Japanese Maples (if I can find one that doesn't take forever to grow).

The patio won't really be too little, just phrased it that way for some reason. It's more a flag stone walk way that will run around much of the back yard, sometimes widening to a patio area, some times just a side walk. I definitely don't want some 40' wide, 80' tall giant, but 30' wide and tall or less should be just fine for the space.

I guess the biggest factor is how long it'll take them to grow. Let me know if you've know of anything in particular (on your list or off it) that you think would be quick growing.

Great point, Nancy.

Yeah, I've already thought a bit about the maintenance. Evergreen would be nice because of fewer leaves dropping and I'm definitely looking for something that's non-fruiting (or is a fruit/nut easily cleaned up). It's a stone patio area so rotting isn't too much of a concern. And I don't mind a little debris now and then. It would add to the character of it I think.

And thanks for the link. Lots to explore. It reaffirms my desire for a Magnolia grandiflora. I'm under the impression, though, that they take forever to grow (especially the further north you go). I'll have to research that more though.

Of the ones I listed, here they are, ranked ROUGHLY in the order of how fast they grow. YMMV

Flowering Cherry. Depends on variety, probably one of the faster ones on this list. You might need to prune it, though, so some of the growth would be lost to the need to shape the tree when it is young.
Dogwoods 'Eddies White Wonder' is pretty fast. Most species and varieties are moderate.
Flowering Crabapples- Most are quite fast, but need some training, so you could be trimming off some of the growth.
Laburnum- Moderate
Vitex- Moderate. Makes a nice multi trunked tree, if that would work for you.
Styrax. Have not grown this one. Sounds REALLY nice, but local suppliers do not seem to carry it.
http://portlandnursery.com/plants/trees/styrax.shtml
Tillia cordata 'Summer Sprite'. Tillia cordata 'June Bride' is not too slow, and I am not watering it as much as I could. I think the dwarf 'Summer Sprite' will be slower, though.
Japanese Maple are slow. If you can handle the size, and price, look into 24" box. Varieties like Sangu Kaku (Coral Bark), several of the reds, and the basic green with large leaves will grow faster than the lace leaf types. There is some variation in the height of the larger varieties, too. Talk with a local expert who will know which varieties perform best in your area. (I'll bet any of them will grow better in OR than here in CA)


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triblytree, I don't know a lot about trees but if your main concern is fast growth then you might want to consider a green giant thuja that can grow to about 20 ft. wide, however it's a full tree that takes a lot of ground space and doesn't have the graceful branches of the trees in the photos you posted. You might also consider planting a more slow-growing crape myrtle such as the Muskogee cold-hardy variety which will give you months of blooms and when it grows to full size you could chop down the green giant, so you can have a fast-growing tree and later the overhanging crape myrtle. Your original idea of an Empress Tree is an excellent choice for a fast-growing tree and the roots grow downward so you don't have to worry that they will rise to the surface and break your stone terrace, but it's a good idea to cut it down after the first season so the trunk regrows straight. And although a fast-growing tree is great there are very few trees that grow several feet per year so it might be best to choose the one you like best for the long haul, and another one to grow fast.

Nancy G.

Hi triblytree, just a quick note: I think I read that paulownia tormentors a is banned in Oregon. I don't have a lot of faith in my memory, so definitely look into it! Portland Nursery, or their website maybe, will be able to tell you.

Good luck! I hope you keep us updated.

13 Turtles and triblytree, fossil records show that Empress Tree is native to the northwest USA:

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2439100?uid=2&uid=4&sid=21104586315787

However, it is invasive in Oregon:

http://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/whereinvasive.html?sub=2426

I don't know if its illegal to plant Empress Trees in OR, so the best thing to do would be to research to make sure it can be sold there perhaps by calling local nurseries.

Nancy G.