Fast Growing Plants to Add to Your Garden for a Quick Harvest

If you're looking to add some fast-growing plants to your garden for a quick harvest, you're in luck. Radishes can be ready to eat in as little as 20 days.

Radishes are a great choice for a fast-growing crop, producing edible roots in a matter of weeks. They're also easy to grow and require minimal care.

Some other fast-growing plants to consider include lettuce and spinach, which can be harvested in as little as 20-30 days. These leafy greens are perfect for adding fresh flavor to salads and sandwiches.

These plants are perfect for beginners or those with limited space, as they can thrive in small containers or even indoors.

Fast growing plants like arugula can be harvested in just 30 days, making them a great choice for impatient gardeners. This peppery green grows best in cooler weather, but can still thrive in warmer temperatures with some shade.

Planting arugula from seed is a great way to get started, giving each seed about 3 to 4 inches of room to grow into a full plant. Daily watering for the first 2 weeks will help it get established.

Other fast growing plants include beans, which can be harvested in about 45 to 60 days. Bush beans are a great choice for quick production, while pole beans can produce continuously as they grow.

Related reading: How to Grow a Weed Plant from a Seed Outdoors

The Inchplant is a vining plant that grows vigorously in optimal conditions, earning its name for its ability to grow up to an inch per week.

Its vining stems are perfect for hanging pots or climbing down retaining walls, and it's not picky about where it grows, happily creeping over the ground.

This plant features distinctive leaves with shades of purple and green and silver accents, giving your garden a nice pop of bright color.

You can expect the Inchplant to reach a size of 6 to 9 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide, making it a great addition to a small garden or container.

To keep your Inchplant happy, it prefers full sun to partial shade and well-draining soil.

If you're looking to grow an Inchplant, keep in mind that it thrives in zones 9 to 11.

If you're looking for a plant that can make a statement, consider the Elephant Ear.

This plant's large, heart-shaped to arrowhead-shaped leaves can grow up to 10 feet tall and wide, making it a great choice for adding some drama to your garden.

Elephant Ear plants thrive in high humidity, so if you live in a humid climate, this plant will love it.

The leaves are typically glossy and come in shades of green, with some varieties featuring dark purple, black, or variegated patterns.

To care for your Elephant Ear, make sure it gets full sun to partial shade and has well-draining soil.

Here are some key care requirements for Elephant Ear plants:

Arugula is one of the easiest greens to grow in the garden, and it's a great choice for a fast harvest. You can plant arugula from seed, giving each seed about 3 to 4 inches of room to grow into a full plant.

Arugula grows best in cooler weather, but it'll still grow when it's warm and even hot outside. The trick is to plant it in a shadier spot, such as under a porch or patio.

You can start harvesting your first leaves in just 30 days, which is incredibly fast. Before the kids go back to school, you'll be eating homegrown arugula.

Planting arugula is a great way to get a quick gardening win, and it's easy to care for. Water daily for the first 2 weeks, and you'll be on your way to a delicious harvest.

Sunflowers are beloved for their vibrant colors and rapid growth. They can grow from seed in as little as 70 to 100 days.

Growing sunflowers is relatively easy, requiring full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. You can grow them in a variety of soil types, including loam, clay, and sandy soil.

Some sunflower varieties can grow to be over 12 feet tall, while others are much shorter. You can grow multiple varieties together for a mix of heights and flower colors.

Here are some key facts about growing sunflowers:

Sunflowers are a great choice for beginner gardeners, as they provide instant gratification with visible signs of growth each day.

You can start your garden in July and still have time to grow a variety of delicious plants.

Just because it's July doesn't mean it's too late to start your garden this season.

If you plant now, you'll have a chance to enjoy your favorite edible plants this summer, plus tons of delicious fall crops.

You can plant a wide range of quick-growing herbs, vegetables, and flowers right now, no matter where you live.

In fact, there are 10 fast-growing plants you can start in July, and they're perfect for adding some color and flavor to your garden.

Beans are incredibly fast climbing plants that can thrive in your garden with the right variety. They grow from seed to harvest in just 45 to 60 days.

If you're in a warm season, you can grow typical green beans like Contender bush beans, which will give you a huge harvest. In hot seasons, stick with heat-tolerant options like crowder peas and lima beans.

Planting bush beans is a great way to get a quick gardening win, as they're easy to tend and produce beans continuously.

Check this out: How Fast Does a Lilac Bush Grow

Arugula is a fantastic salad green that's incredibly fast to grow. It's a cool weather crop, making it one of the earliest vegetables I plant in my garden.

You can grow arugula in zones 2 to 11, which is a pretty wide range. It prefers full sun to part shade and thrives in loamy, moist, well-drained soil.

Arugula can grow quite tall, reaching heights of 2 to 3 feet, and can spread out to about 1.5 feet wide.

Here are the specific care requirements for arugula:

One of the best things about arugula is that it's ready to harvest just four weeks after sowing the seeds.

Basil is a herb that thrives in warm weather and can grow with just 4 hours of sunlight a day.

It's a quick-growing herb, giving you the quickest harvests in the summer months.

You can start with a plant from the store and put it in a pot or raised bed to get a lot of harvests over the coming weeks.

Basil is super easy to grow from seed, but you'll need to wait about 60 days before you cut your first leaves for homemade pesto.

To harvest your basil, make sure to cut right above a leaf node, which encourages your plant to grow not just fast, but twice as big.

Kale & Swiss Chard Are Quick-Growing Tall Plants. They can thrive in a variety of conditions, making them a great choice for gardeners of all levels.

Kale and Swiss chard plants can grow quite tall, so it's essential to provide them with some support. You can stick them in the shade during the hottest months to prevent them from getting scorched.

One of the best things about kale and Swiss chard is that they're quick-growing, allowing you to harvest leaves from the outside of the plant. This means you'll have a continuous supply of fresh greens for omelets, salads, and sautés.

You can harvest leaves from the outside of the plant, and new ones will grow in their place. This process can be repeated several times, making kale and Swiss chard a great choice for gardeners who want a steady supply of fresh greens.

For more insights, see: Plant Leaves Cracking

Cucumbers, squash, and zucchini are the fastest-growing fruiting crops to grow in the middle of summer.

These veggies grow incredibly fast, with cucumbers producing their first little fruits in about 55 to 60 days.

Beans are another fast-growing option, and they're technically a fruit too!

Bush beans are a great choice for a quick gardening win, and they're perfect for growing in a variety of spaces.

They're a garden staple, and for good reason - they're easy to grow and produce a high yield. You can grow them in raised beds, in-ground gardens, or even planters.

Bush beans don't require staking, making them a great option for gardeners who want to minimize maintenance. They're also a great choice for small gardens or containers.

Here are some specific varieties to try: Provider, Goldilocks, and Amethyst. These varieties will give you a "rainbow" of beans to enjoy.

Some key facts to keep in mind when growing bush beans:

Fast-growing shrubs can provide a burst of color and beauty to your outdoor space. They're perfect for creating a lush, intimate outdoor room or screening out an unsightly view.

Fast-growing shrubs like flowering varieties can attract butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insect pollinators, making them a great choice for gardeners who want to support local wildlife.

Some fast-growing shrubs are low maintenance, helping to create an easy-care landscape. They can also fill in quickly, eliminating the need for other filler plants.

Here are some examples of fast-growing shrubs that are perfect for attracting wildlife and creating a beautiful outdoor space:

These shrubs are not only beautiful, but they also provide a range of benefits for your outdoor space, from reducing urban noise to controlling erosion.

Zinnias are a great choice for adding instant life to your garden. They come in a rainbow of colors and can grow quite tall, up to 36 inches.

If you live in a mild climate, you can also try nasturtiums, which are another fast-growing flower. They're edible and can be used as a trap crop to control pests in your garden.

Zinnias are quick to sprout, with seeds germinating in just a few days. They'll bloom in about two months, providing a beautiful display of color.

Here are some key facts to keep in mind when growing zinnias and nasturtiums:

Hostas are also a great choice for shade gardens, but if you're looking for something a bit more vibrant, zinnias and nasturtiums are a great option.

Plumbago is a fast-growing subtropical shrub that produces clusters of true-blue flowers over medium-green foliage.

It's a great choice for warm climates, as it can thrive in full sun and well-draining soil.

Plumbago can reach heights of over 6 feet tall in a single season, making it a great option for adding some height to your garden.

Here are some key facts about Plumbago:

This shrub is also low maintenance, tolerating drought and heat, and is even deer- and rabbit-resistant, making it a great choice for gardeners with wildlife concerns.

Russian Sage is a low-maintenance plant that establishes quickly and can grow several feet in a single season.

It's a great choice for attracting pollinators with its tall spikes of lavender flowers. These blooms typically appear in mid-summer through the fall.

Russian Sage prefers full sun to partial shade and well-draining soil. It's also drought-tolerant after the first year, making it a great option for water-conscious gardeners.

Here are some key details to keep in mind when growing Russian Sage:

Shrubs are a gardener's best friend. They can provide instant gratification and long-term benefits to your outdoor space.

Fast-growing shrubs can screen out unsightly views, provide privacy, and create a lush outdoor room. They can also create shade, green up new spaces, and control erosion.

In windy areas, shrubs can act as a natural windbreak, reducing the impact of strong gusts. This can be especially beneficial in coastal regions where the wind can be fierce.

Shrubs can also help reduce urban noise by muting sound from nearby roads and sidewalks. This can create a more peaceful atmosphere in your yard.

Some shrubs are low maintenance, making them perfect for busy gardeners. They can also attract wildlife, providing shelter and food for songbirds and other animals.

Here are some of the benefits of shrubs:

Arborvitae (Thuja spp.) is a versatile garden plant that comes in a range of shapes and sizes to suit any landscape need. It's a coniferous evergreen tree or shrub that grows at different rates, depending on the variety.

You can find arborvitae growing in zones 2-9, depending on the specific variety, and it thrives in full sun to partial shade. It's a great option for narrow spaces, as hedging and screening.

Arborvitae can grow to be quite tall, ranging from 2 to 70 feet, and just as wide, from 2 to 25 feet. Some varieties, like North Pole, grow at a moderate rate of several inches to 3 to 5 feet per year.

The flowers of the arborvitae are inconspicuous, so it's not the best choice if you're looking for a plant with showy blooms.

Loropetalum spp, also known as Chinese Fringe Flower, is a beautiful and versatile shrub. It thrives in zones 7-10 and can tolerate full sun to partial shade.

This tender broadleaf evergreen shrub grows at a moderate pace of 1 to 2 feet per year. It can reach a height of 1 to 15 feet tall and a spread of 3 to 10 feet wide, depending on the variety.

One of the standout features of Loropetalum spp is its tassel-like flowers, which bloom in mid-spring and can have some sporadic re-bloom. The foliage comes in a range of colors, including green, purple, and variegated.

Loropetalum spp is perfect for adding a pop of color to a woodland garden or creating a colorful screen along a fence. Its upright mounding or spreading habit makes it a great choice for a background plant in a mixed border.

English Laurel is a popular choice for hedging along a property line, but be aware that it can be invasive on the West coast.

This broadleaf evergreen produces glossy green foliage, fragrant white flowers, and dark purple berries.

It has a dense bushy habit and can grow quite tall, reaching heights of 10 to 20 feet.

English Laurel prefers full sun to shade and has a growth rate of 1 to 3 feet per year, making it a relatively fast-growing shrub.

Regular pruning is necessary to keep it in check, as it can quickly get out of hand if left unattended.

Forsythia (Forsythia spp.) is a deciduous bush that provides bright yellow flowers to the early spring landscape. These cheerful blooms add a pop of color to foundation plantings and mixed borders.

Growing forsythia is relatively easy, as it's drought tolerant and virtually carefree once established. This makes it a great choice for busy gardeners.

Forsythia grows to be quite tall, ranging from 1 to 20 feet, with a spread of 3 to 10 feet. Its upright bushy or arching habit makes it a versatile addition to any garden.

In zones 4-9, forsythia thrives in full sun to partial shade, making it adaptable to a variety of growing conditions.

Privet (Ligustrum spp.) is a dense bushy shrub that can grow up to 15 feet tall and wide. It's known for its fast growth rate, reaching 2 to 3 feet per year.

Privet shrubs have a variety of foliage colors, including green, gold, and variegated. They can be invasive in some areas, but newer varieties are sterile, making them a better choice for gardeners.

To keep your privet shrub looking its best, it needs regular pruning to retain its shape and size. This will also help control its growth and prevent it from becoming too unruly.

Privet shrubs are amenable to shearing, which makes them a great choice for hedges or topiaries. They can also be used as a windbreak or to hide an unsightly view.

Here are some key facts about Privet shrubs:

Red Twigs Dogwood is a great choice for adding some winter interest to your garden, with its vivid stems providing a beautiful pop of color.

This suckering deciduous shrub can quickly cover large areas, making it perfect for mass planting in a native landscape.

It grows 5 to 9 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide, so be sure to give it plenty of space to spread out.

Red Twigs Dogwood is relatively fast-growing, adding 1 to 2 feet per year, so you can expect to see it mature quickly.

Its four-season appeal is one of its best features, with oval green leaves, white flowers, summer berries, and fall color all adding to its beauty.

Bamboos are well adapted for fast vertical growth. They have hollow tubes as stems, which are very strong and use fewer resources to reach an equivalent height.

Their stems have two distinct zones of cell division, called meristems. One zone forms leaves, while the other produces cells that contribute to vertical growth.

These cells rapidly inflate by taking up water, elongating so that long, tubular internodes form quickly.