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How Long Does it Take for Shrubs and Bushes to Grow?

By Calin Oancea and Florin Gabriel

4/22/20243 min read

Understanding the growth time of shrubs and your bushes is important if you want to enhance your landscape and grow your shrubs properly.

In this article, bushes provide insight into the typical growth timelines for various popular varieties and the overall average growing time of a bush to be established in the landscape we will reveal what influences the growth rate of shrubs

green design
green design
green design
green design
multiple flowering shrubs in a garden
multiple flowering shrubs in a garden
green design
green design
Green Box
Green Box

The average growth time of a shrub or bush is typically anywhere from 3 to 5 years to fully mature and establish themselves in a landscape.

Based on our experiments and experience but also the expertise of other gardening experts.

The Growth Time of a Shrub Until Completely Mature:

How Long does It take for Shrub Seeds to Germinate?

Our countless experiments and projects show that generally, shrub seeds can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to germinate. It's important to research the specific requirements of the shrub species you're interested in for the most accurate timeline.

Factors Influencing Growth

  • Species and Variety: Different types of shrubs have varying growth rates. For instance, some species grow rapidly, while others take years to reach their full size.

  • Growing Conditions: Sunlight, soil type, and climate greatly affect the growth rate. A bunch of sunlight and well-drained soil are great for quicker growth.

  • Care and Maintenance: Regular watering, fertilizing, and pruning after planting shrubs can significantly impact how quickly a they grow.

a long green and leafy hedge growing in front of a house
a long green and leafy hedge growing in front of a house

Fast-Growing Shrubs

  • Example: Forsythia and Hydrangea

  • We witnessed multiple times that Forsythias and hydrangeas are among the fast-growing shrubs. Regular pruning can encourage bushier growth and more flowers.

Moderate-Growing Shrubs

  • Example: Boxwood and Rhododendron

  • Boxwoods and rhododendrons typically have a moderate growth rate. These shrubs may take several years to reach maturity, with an average annual growth of about 15-30 cm (6-12 inches) which is similar to how much it takes for trees to grow.

Slow-Growing Shrubs

  • Example: Dwarf Conifers

  • Dwarf conifers are an example of slow-growing shrubs. These plants might take many years to reach their full size, growing only a few centimeters each year.

Sources

Nature and Sustainability uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies to support the facts we describe in our articles. Please read our editorial policy to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Factors that influence shrubs growth: Environmental factors affecting plant growth | OSU Extension Service (oregonstate.edu)

  2. How long it will take for shrubs to grow until maturity: Watering-Newly-Planted-Trees-and-Shrubs-PDF (ramsey.mn.us)

  3. How long it takes for seeds to germinate: How To Germinate Seeds In 4 Easy Steps - Love The Garden, How to grow shrubs and trees from seed | Thompson & Morgan (thompson-morgan.com)

  4. Fast-growing shrubs: Best fast-growing shrubs: 14 recommended varieties to plant | (homesandgardens.com)

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Calin Oancea
Calin Oancea
Green Box
Green Box

Article By:

Calin has been in the garden industry for 5 years and knows a lot about gardening and plants. He owns this website and is responsible for most of the content.

Reviewed By:

Florin, a more technical guy, is responsible for designing, reviewing and updating the articles but also optimizing for SEO so that everything we publish is deam good.