ebra, would you consider an aspen of some type? Quintessential early-succession tree type in a range of northern forest types, they set the stage-with their fast growth, relatively short lives, and soil enriching capabilities-for the wave of trees that will come after. Then too, your oaks will want pretty close to full sun, so factor that in to your scheme as well.

+oM

Cottonwood (populus deltoides) is another poplar that would do the job even if aspen might be a nicer tree

White pine? Not much will grow faste then that in zone 4 and be reasonably long lived,.

Fast growing usually = messy, fast dying.

I'm curious, what do you mean by "extremely fast?"

just something that will grow fast i guess?? As far fast growing trees being messy, im ok with that since i do not mow it, is bare flat land that i want to wooded asap.

What's your reason to have it wooded as soon as possible? Privacy, timber, just like woods, etc.

Any long term plans?

What is your general location?

Answers to that and and you will get more relevant answers to your question.

Mike

Exactly. When I hear "extremely fast," what comes to mind are lower quality trees that provide minimal ecological or aesthetic value. I don't mean to imply these types of trees don't have any value, I just think it might be in your interest to think this through and plant accordingly.

You mentioned planting oaks, maples, and evergreens. There are several moderately fast to fast growing species within these groups. Make sound decisions now, and you'll be richly rewarded in the not too distant future.

Sounds like an interesting project. Good luck with it...and try to be patient.

In forest succession, fast-growers of relatively short duration are the norm. They're not "low-quality", merely of a different nature than the so-called "good trees" which will occupy the site later. In fact, it is with their very rapid accumulations of biomass typical of such species, along with their subsequent dying off that enriches the site for the later tree types. As such, it is exactly the aspen, the willows, and shrubs of a number of genera that are called for by ebra's plan. Nothing looks phonier than an attempt at late-successional stage forest where none of the intervening stages have occurred. And such aspects of actual forest which are usually not tolerated in a yard are both actively sought for and necessary to the development of the stand-such things as downed timber, standing dead snags, etc.

+oM

I have some beautiful silver maple that I love. I know some grow like weeds and some have softer wood, so in storms more limbs might break, but mine are really good. Beautiful outline too. Maybe look into those. I have one that has an extreme cut leaf and I like that one the best. wish I could send a picture of the leaves. they are really cool.

appreciate all the advice, i would like the to 2 acres wooded for deer hunting and i like trees. There are a few trees on it already, i would like it to be fully wooded.

Hybrid poplar op-367 is the fastest

Sounds interesting. More specifics would be helpful (as suggested above).

What's on that land now? What trees and planting are on the adjacent acreage?

Soil? Dry or damp or wet? (Water table) elevation?

Are you going to be buying trees? Planting seeds? Transplanting saplings? Are you aiming for a mixed deciduous wood lot?

American Beech is not a "fast tree" but they are lovely and provide food for deer and other animals.

some trees are easy to come by and you can sometimes get young trees for free or very little. If you transplant them, you have to keep them from drying out (for months and a good part of the first year). Some times of the year are better than others -- very early spring as soon as the ground can be dug; or in the fall when it looks like ample rainy days.

For a general, deciduous wood lot in zone 4-5 northeast, I'd try to plant or tuck in some of the following. Allow a lot of space between plantings.

aspen, paper birch, white oak, white pine, red oak, hemlock, fir, ash, hickory, butternut, beech.

Shrubs , low: mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), blueberry, viburnum, Cornus sp.,

transplanting samplings for the most part, I have access to as many maple saplings as i want, i will probably end up buying some faster growing trees. Right now it is prairie grass with a few big red oaks, a couple green ash, and a couple cedars. I would like it to be mostly wooded while keeping some of the prairie grass. It is not low land or anything like that, it is surrounded by corn fields and other wooded sections. I'm impressed by all the great feedback i'm getting! Thanks!!

OK, Tom, "quality" is probably not a term I should've used. However, I think we can make a distinction in qualitative terms between trees such as Q. rubra and a Salix hybrid. Yes, the latter will shoot up rapidly and reach 40' within 10 years, while the oak is likely to be about 1/3 to 1/2 that size. However, over the next 5-10 years the oak should catch up and make for a much, much nicer and long-lasting tree.

Something else to consider would be how you'll deal with the short-lived trees once they begin to show signs of decline, which they will inevitably do. Do you simply let them deteriorate and watch nature take its course? There's nothing wrong with that, but my approach would be to plant for the long-term. It is of course a personal preference, but to me it makes far more sense to plant for permanence on this two acre property. This is not a large piece of ground and I'd be leery of planting trees that are likely to be problematic after a decade or two years. This might not seem like a big deal now, but when you get older do you want to be dealing with this?

This is a case where I think you can have your cake and eat it too. There's nothing wrong with planting a few birch, aspen, and other successional trees if you can meet their cultural requirements, but I would avoid the extremely fast growing trees that are going to eventually be a distraction from what you're trying to accomplish.

Try hybrid poplar - I am in MN and I have seen them grow 8' per year - the fastest I have seen up here. I haven't tried cottonwood because who wants one in your yard, but I hear they are super fast. Various willows are similar.

The next tier would be trees that do 4' a year - elm, white pine, aspen (some others I have seen grow that fast are chestnut, white oak, birch... but I think those are going to be more site dependent)

Consider also you might want some 'deer crack' to attract the forest rodents - white cedar (if you can keep them alive) and various nuts like hazel and oak. I am not a hunter so I can't speak to if deer seek out evergreen for cover... Also don't forget the forest rodents will try and destroy your trees too, so you might want some protection.

Deer apparently are edge species and like part open/part forest.

They only live 40 years on average....i wouldn't worry about hybrid poplars taking over. By the time the oaks and other things mature the hybrid poplars will die off and build the soil

You might be surprised at the persistence of the root systems of nearly all plants in genus Populus. It is commonplace for quaking aspen to "appear" on sites which have been logged for northern hardwoods or conifers, their roots having been biding their time until an opening in the canopy allows for sudden and explosive growth. I'm not making this up. Look at any silvicultural treatment of aspen. Notice will be paid to just what I report here. With the hybrid, just generally being a less-desirable plant to have around on a long-term basis, this takes on greater importance.

OP, do as thou wilt, but if I was in your place, I'd avoid these hybrid poplars. They have been developed not for beauty, not for wildlife benefit, but merely to produce fiber, as fast as possible. They generally lack the aesthetic qualities of our native poplars, popples, etc.

+oM

Sycamores or Tulip Poplars

Agree w/Tom, with all these "hybrid" poplars, the straight cottonwood seems the most reliable, tho obviously it can get enormous.

ebragelman,

If you're wanting this to be a 'deer-hunting woods'... go ahead and plant the appropriate mast species... oaks, chestnuts, persimmons, etc. and consider planting some late-season apples/pears as soft mast sources While these species are frequently denigrated as 'slow-growing', in actuality, they're really not!

If you start in planting 'fast-growing' stuff like hybrid poplars, willows, and such... there'll be just that much less space for more 'desirable' (in the eye of the deer) trees. 2 acres isn't really all that big...

WisconsinTom--you are right in your tree descriptions above--what we call a silver maple is a poplar, and what we call a chinese elm is what many people call a siberian elm.

The thing with sulfur is when you spread the elemental sulfur, it is like spreading sand--it doesn't wash down into the soil well. It needs to be broken down by the microbes into sulfates and such, which then moves into the soil easily. In Laramie, the soil is very high in calcium, and trying to acidify the soil with sulfur is a herculean task because the excess lime just keeps binding with the sulfur and neutralizing it. I've had luck fighting iron chlorosis, which seems to be one of the main problems for plants in high pH soils, by using ferrous sulfate. While the soil may not need the iron, I think the combination gives you a small area of lower pH where the iron remains available to the plants for a time. The plants don't need the entire soil profile to have plenty of available iron, just enough area that they can meet their overall needs. Then instead of trying to fight a losing battle with excess lime, you are just fighting a skirmish to keep iron available in a small area or layer of the soil where the roots can get what they need.

I think american elms will grow in Laramie and trying some of the newer dutch elm disease resistant ones would be worth a try.

I have a poplar plantation and would like to point up some of the unexpected virtues of these underrated trees. My wood was initially planted for matches, only to be totally neglected when the market diminished in the 70s. Since then, the hybrid poplars have grown on but, because of the small canopy and high light levels (planted on 6m centres), colonies of english oak, hawthorn, holm oaks and prunus spinosa have appeared, amongst the brambles. The trees are now some 70 odd years old and will need felling over the next few decades but, in the meantime, the roots have not been terribly greedy, they have not suckered or seeded and the wood has a most wonderful cathedral aspect which comes from very tall trees with light levels high enough to sustain grasses and perennials. As my small 5 acre plantation is surrounded by land-drains, I have planted many shrubby willows - the stem colours are remarkable and I use the osiers for basketry. I was initially sceptical, assuming poplar was a sort of 'trash tree' but have, in fact, found it to make decent firewood and very straight-grained timber for milling - it takes a stain wonderfully well, splits perfectly and has some good structural applications.

As with all broadleaves, the faster they grow, the shorter their lifespan (although this doesn't apply to conifers)...and hybrid poplars will put on enough growth to harvest on a 15 year rotation. Add in some hazel, redwoods (they are fast too) and sweet chestnut and I feel I have a good basis for a small wood with diversity and a true wooded feel but without the gloom and non-existent ground layer associated with conifer and beechwoods.

Can I also put in a plea for some of those smaller.modest trees such as sorbus, malus, amelanchiers, halesias. dogwoods, viburnums etc. Growing an understorey, as well as planting the more majestic forest trees, really does create a feeling of density, abundance and most of all, several seasons of interest, with blossom, fruits and bark.