How Long Does It Take for a Plant to Grow? | Complete Guide

Plants are popular ways to liven up any interior and outdoor space. If properly cared for, they can also provide us with food, herbs, and spices. However, many wonder how long it takes for plants to grow.

Plants that are annuals take between 50 and 95 days to grow and bloom, while perennial plants take up to two years to mature. The main difference is that annuals need to be replanted once a year, whereas perennials will keep growing indefinitely as long as conditions allow.

If you’re looking to grow your own plants, you need to research each type of plant you’re looking to grow to accurately assess how long it’ll take to grow. Keep reading to learn more about how long different plants take to grow.

Growth Time Depending on Plant Type

There are three main categories of plants: annuals, biennials, and perennials. Annuals and biennials are generally the quickest to grow as they’ll last through only one or two growing seasons, respectively. 

On the other hand, Perennials take longer to grow as they can keep growing indefinitely. In other words, perennials are in no rush. 

Although perennials require a bigger time commitment upfront, they can save you time in the long run as you won’t need to worry about replacing them every year or every other year. 

Here’s a table with some of the most common plants and how long they take to grow:

Type of plant	Plant name	Time to grow
Annual	Flowers	95 days on average for regular flowers, 50 days for fast-growing flowers.
Perennial	Fruit Plants	Fruit plants will usually start bearing fruit within two years
Perennial	Root Vegetables	Most root vegetables will germinate within 15 days and harvest within 60.
Perennial	Monsteras	Monsteras grow indefinitely, and they can grow 1-2 feet (0.30-0.61 m) every year.
Perennial	Orchids	Orchid seeds take up to two years to germinate, and each flower takes up to 3 months to bloom.
Perennial	Cacti	Cacti are slow to grow, taking about a year to grow to the size of a nickel. Most cacti grow 0.4-1.2 inches (1.02-3.5 cm) per year.
Perennial	Succulents	Succulents grow about 1 inch (2.54 cm) per year. Germination can take anywhere from 3 days to 4 weeks.
Perennial	Fiddle Leaf Fig	Fiddle leaf figs take up to 15 years to grow into maturity, but most will be decently sized by their third year.
Perennial	Spider Plant	Spider plants take up to 10 years to grow into maturity.
Perennial	Aloe Vera	Aloe vera plants take 3-4 years to grow into maturity.
Perennial	Snake Plant	Snake plants grow 2-4 inches (5.08-10.16 cm) per growing season.
Perennial	Bamboo	Bamboo takes 5 years of intensive care before growing out of the ground. Once they break through, they can grow up to 90 feet (27.43 m) in just 5 weeks.

Consider how long your plant will take to mature before committing to growing one! With our guide, you’ll be well-prepared to successfully raise a plant through maturity. 

How Fast Does a Plant Grow in a Week?

Plants grow between 0.8-1 inches (2.03-2.54 cm) per week on average. That’s a rough average, as many plants can grow more than 1 inch (2.54 cm) per week, and some can grow less than 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) per week. How you care for your plant and its environment will affect its growth speed.

Plants are very receptive to their environment. If you’re trying to grow a plant that’s not native to your area, you’ll have a hard time convincing your plant that it should grow there. 

The following factors will impact how fast your plant grows.

Seasonality

The growth trajectory of plants isn’t linear. Just like humans, plants experience growth spurts and may grow at different rates in different weeks. Unlike humans, however, plant growth is strongly tied to seasonality. 

Most plants grow consistently throughout the year, while they grow the fastest in a particular season. The most common seasons for fast growth are spring and summer, although some plants may grow the fastest in the fall and winter. 

On the other hand, some plants will have a dormancy period when they’ll stop growing completely. Don’t panic if you notice that your plant has stopped growing. Not only are dormancy periods normal, but they can also be healthy for your plant.

Fertilization

Fertilizing your plants is extremely important if you want them to grow healthy and strong. Giving your plant fertilizer is like feeding your kids healthy food. 

However, you should only fertilize your plants when they’re in the growing season, not during dormancy or slow growth periods. 

You also want to make sure that you’re using a high-quality fertilizer, as using sub-par fertilizers may hurt your plants. We recommend the Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food (available on Amazon). With over 50,000 reviews and a 4.5-star rating, you can rest assured that you’re giving your plant a tried-and-true high-quality fertilizer.

Location

The location of your plant is extremely important for growth. Not only does geographical location matter, but the specific location of your plant within your house or yard will impact how quickly it grows. 

Ask yourself the following questions when assessing if your plant is in the right spot:

• Is my plant getting enough sunlight throughout the day?
• Is my plant getting too much sunlight exposure?
• Does my plant have enough space to grow roots properly?
• Is my plant getting too much water based on its location?
• Is my plant susceptible to any pests or harmful insects?

Depending on the size of your plant, you may be able to relocate it now before it grows too big.

How Long Does It Take for a Potted Plant To Grow?

Potted plants grow slower than those planted on the ground. Plants can use their roots to sense the size of their pots. If your plant deems that the pot is too small, it may take longer than the average of 50-95 days for annuals or two years for perennials.

While this fact presents a problem for people who want to grow plants indoors, they also present an opportunity. Doubling the size of a plant’s pot can help it grow bigger and faster.

So, even if you think that an oversized pot or planter may look odd for your baby plant, keep in mind that it’ll help them grow into it much quicker. 

What Is the Quickest Growing Plant?

Duckweed—more specifically, Wolffia—is the quickest-growing plant, according to scientists. Duckweeds can grow twice their size in as little as just 16 hours, making them even faster than other fast-growing plants like bamboo. 

As its name suggests, Duckweed is a type of weed that grows on water. It can grow so fast because of its ability to grow in the dark, which most plants can’t do. 

Because plants are light-sensitive, they grow the fastest when in direct sunlight. Duckweed, however, has about half as many genes that depend on light to function as other plants. This ability allows duckweed to grow all day long, making it significantly faster than other plants. 

Unfortunately, you can only grow duckweed on water, making it hard for most people to accommodate it in their homes. You’ll need an aquarium to grow duckweed indoors or a pond to grow it outdoors.

Check out the following YouTube video to see just how fast duckweed grows:

Which Plant Grows in 10 Days?

Many vegetables and herbs can grow in 10 days, including lettuce, spinach, scallions, radishes, and turnips. Other vegetables like cucumbers, squash, and watermelon will germinate in under six days, making them excellent choices as well. 

Although no plant will grow from seed to maturity in 10 days, many will germinate in this time frame. A seed germinates when the plant begins to grow out of the seed and starts to develop shoots. 

You can think of germination as something similar to baby chicks hatching their eggs. Though they’re not mature hens or roosters at the time, they’re officially alive and somewhat self-sufficient. 

Once your plants germinate, you may move them out from their germination trays into their own growing pots. Although you’ll still have to take good care of your growing plants, they’ll require less work once they’ve germinated. 

If you’ve never grown a plant from seed to adult before, you should start by getting high-quality starter trays for your plants. These seedling starter trays (available on Amazon) offers a great value.

Once your seeds germinate, you’ll need to move them into their own individual growing pots. We recommend these pots (available on Amazon) for anyone interested in growing their plants quickly.

Which Fruit Plant Grows the Fastest?

Strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are the fastest-growing fruits. With strawberries, you can expect them to grow fruit in the very first year, while you’ll have to wait until the second year for raspberries and blackberries to start growing fruit.

Fruit trees generally take at least 2 years to start bearing fruit. If you want to grow fruit in your home as soon as possible, you should start with berries. 

Although strawberries can grow fruit in their first year, most gardeners will pick and discard any berries in the first year. This will allow the second-year harvest to be much more bountiful and with better-tasting fruit. 

Still, growing berries is a lot faster than planting an apple tree, which can take up to 8 years to start growing edible apples.

How Long Does It Take for Flowers To Grow?

Flowers can take as little as 50 days to grow, and most will grow within 95 days. A flower seed will germinate in approximately 4 to 7 days, making flowers some of the quickest plants you can grow. 

Most people would be surprised to know that they can grow a flower from seed in under two months. 

Some of the quickest flowers to grow are:

• Zinnia
• Sunflower
• Morning Glory
• California Poppy
• Marigold
• Petunia
• Calendula

How Long Does It Take To Grow Vegetables From Seeds?

Most vegetables take between 2 and 4 months to grow. Leafy greens, radishes, and some root vegetables like beets will take about 70 days to grow. Other vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, and potatoes will take 120 days to grow. 

If you’re thinking about starting a garden in your home, you might want to pick some fast-growing vegetables first. They’re generally less complicated to grow, and you’ll get to harvest them sooner, which will give you the motivation you need to grow vegetables that take longer. 

When you plant a vegetable seed, the first thing you can anticipate is for the seed to germinate. It usually happens between 4 and 7 days after planting your vegetable. Once the seed is germinated, you can transplant it to a bigger pot or the garden where you plan to keep your vegetables. 

Keep in mind that most vegetable plants are annuals, meaning that they only produce flowers or vegetables once before dying. You’ll likely need to start from scratch every year unless you grow and harvest perennial vegetables like:

• Kale
• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Sweet potato
• Yams
• Some kinds of broccoli, like Nine Star and Purple Cape
• Some kinds of spinach, like Ceylon spinach

If you’re in a time crunch and want to grow vegetables from seeds as soon as possible, consider choosing any from the list above.

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Final Thoughts

Plants can take anywhere from a couple of months to a few years to grow into mature adults. Generally, annuals will grow quickly because they won’t last longer than a year. On the other hand, Perennials will take longer to grow and mature as they can keep growing indefinitely. 

If you’re trying to make your plants grow faster,

• Fertilize your plant once every 1 to 6 months for optimal growth.
• If potted, transplant your plant to a bigger pot to help it grow faster and bigger.
• Ensure that your plant receives adequate sunlight.

For more, check out Garden Vegetables Planting and Harvest Times (With Charts).