Fast-growing plants: the top 5

In the plant world there are some record holders when it comes to growth rate. But which tree grows the fastest? We introduce you to the 5 fastest growing plants.

When we think of plant growth, “fast” is definitely not the first word that springs to mind. After all, most plants take years to visibly increase in size. Nevertheless, there is a whole range of plants that prove the opposite to us. Here we show the five plants that are hard to beat for their growth speed.

1. duckweed

The duckweed (Lemna minor), also known colloquially as “duckweed”, is a small aquatic plant that can be found on almost any body of standing water. But the inconspicuous plant should not be underestimated - in fact, it is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. It can double its mass in less than three days. This ability makes them a horror for pond owners, after all, they form real carpets on the water within a short time. But the small plant can also be useful. Research is currently being carried out into how the plants, which grow quickly, can be used to generate energy, but also as animal feed or to clean water.

2. giant sequoia

From very small to very large – the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is one of the tallest tree species in the world with a height of 95 meters. It is only surpassed by its close relative, the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), which is the largest currently living tree with a maximum size of 115.55 meters. Although they reach spectacular sizes and become tourist attractions, they are not among the fastest growing trees. The enormous increase in width is all the more impressive. Annual growth of more than 30 cubic meters per hectare was not uncommon in forestry experiments, which is why the giant sequoia is still one of the fast-growing trees. And even though the coast redwood is considered the tallest tree in the world, the General Sherman Tree was the strongest tree of all time with a trunk volume of 1486.9 cubic meters.

3. eucalyptus

The Eucalyptus (eucalyptus) is not only useful in the cough drop, but also shows impressive growth. In Asian countries in particular, it is often cultivated in huge tree cultures for pulp and energy production and is one of the most frequently planted trees. No wonder, after all, the fast-growing tree shows an enormous pace and achieves a size of 30 meters after only ten years – that is three times faster than the one we have at home Oak (Quercus). However, there is also a lot of criticism of the cultivation of eucalyptus trees, as the fast-growing plant requires incredible amounts of up to 500 liters of water a day. But the eucalyptus does not only set negative records: The giant eucalyptus (Eucalyptus regnans) for a long time even represented the largest deciduous tree in the world - in Tasmania one of these fast-growing trees is said to have reached a height of 123 meters.

4. kudzu

kudzu (Pueraria montana) is a plant from the legume family, distantly related to our beans. It is a robust, herbaceous climbing plant that can also cope with difficult site conditions. She is a real climbing artist. The light-loving kudzu climbs up to 20 meters a year towards the sun and overgrows everything that gets in its way. This means that the climbing artist is definitely one of the fastest growing plants. Kudzu used to be popular as a food due to its high calorie content, but today it is rarely found in the kitchen. Instead, researchers hope that the fast-growing plant can be used as a raw material for bioethanol production in the future. Also interesting is the effect of the plant as a cover crop, as the kudzu can not only accumulate nitrogen in the soil, but also extend its roots up to 1.8 meters into the earth.

5. giant bamboo

If you think of a few centimeters of growth when you think of this type of grass, you are far from it. The Giant Bamboo (Dendrocalamus giganteus) grows to 40 meters high, making it the tallest grass in the world. You can actually watch it grow: under optimal conditions, the fast-growing plant shoots up to 70 centimeters a day. In its native Asia, the giant bamboo is valued not only for its rapid growth, but also for its stability, which is why it is a popular building material. But other bamboo varieties are in no way inferior to their big brother and can show incredible growth in a short time. To lay bamboo species of the genus Phyllostachys up to 30 centimeters a day in height - the sea-green flat tube bamboo (Phyllostachys viridiglaucescens) can even reach a height of up to ten meters in one season in Germany.

Native plants that grow particularly quickly

In addition to the duckweed, there are other native plant species that show particularly rapid growth. A good example of a fast-growing plant is the black elder (Sambucus nigra), which not only shines with its flowers, but can also grow between 60 and 80 centimeters in height and 40 to 50 centimeters in width within a year. Also one of the fast-growing plants is the summer lilac (Buddleja davidii), which can grow up to 150 centimeters when young, but loses its willingness to grow with age. The domestic record holder for fast-growing conifers, on the other hand, is the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), which can reach a height of up to 30 meters. Within a year, this grows up to 50 centimeters in height, so that it is particularly popular in forestry.

Not quite as fast, but still with impressive speed, they grow 10 fast growing vegetablesthat might find their way into your garden.