I put my Pterostyrax in the ground as a rooted cutting barely 1-foot tall in probably... 2008. It is now at least 15 feet tall, I think. It looks to me like the new shoots every year are up to 4 feet long. So at the early stages, I'd have to say "fast." This is with good soil and pretty adequate water. Since it is not described as a large tree, I imagine that the growth rate slows eventually. Mine has a very clear tendency to a single leader, and a single trunk; definitely a tree, not a shrub. The flowers are actually quite subtle in real life both in looks and fragrance, but the leaves make up for it (I'm a foliage person anyway, so at least I think so). The branch structure is lovely, very straight branches and consistent angles. It's also very tidy. The leaves stay on quite late into fall, don't do much colour changing, and then they're gone quite quickly. Granted, it's not above a deck so I might be missing something. I don't know how big crepes get but I have to agree with Ink that from the perspective you've shown, a variety of canopy shape would look more appealing than three all the same. And incidentally, what would allow them to grow bigger is the relief from root competition of the pears, probably not sun alone. I could also recommend Heptacodium, except it may be a problem with respect to bees. For me the fact that it attracts bees is a good thing, but might not be ideal on a deck. Mind you, in my yard the tree is close to the front porch and I can't say we have a bee problem. But again, this might be a smaller tree. I have a bunch of young trees so in terms of long term experience I am not very useful. But I also enjoy my Parrotia. Karin L

8-29-2015 I am by Oxford Wisconsin,I try to keep my 100-150 Large Korean Asian Pear tree's fruit on the tree to 28-26degrees 28 they for sure won't freeze & really color & sugar up nice.My Chojuro taste like Butterscotch (rum), I wish when I planted 100 nijisseiki that they would have been Chojuro, Niitaka tastes sugary & has a nice size, just planted 45 yoinashi, 45 hosui, 45 atago. Spray your tree's early with Bonide copper fungicide to kill over wintering bacteria, I'm going to be using Kocide 3000,Kocide 3000 doesn't leave a copper build up in the soil and keeps your soil healthier, if you use agristrep during bloom time to fight off firelight you take the chance of mutating the bacteria .I have sprayed agristrep to the fresh cut limb when trying to shut down fireblight so it was absorbed into the cambium layer,I have done this in some instances when I cut the whole tree just above the graft to shut down fireblight & now have a 12-15 foot Large Korean ,when I read winter sunburn I believe the black if that's what your looking at is fireblight, you need to get ahead of this before the sap starts moving up & down the tree when the snow melts. If you still see black under the bark when your cutting out fireblight then cut back even further. Always put up to 10% bleach 90% water in a spray bottle & spray your cutter or saw & let this flash off the bacteria for 30 seconds before moving to another tree don't walk the disease through your orchard no matter how large it is! Thanks. NASHI Westfield Wisconsin (Adams County Nursery Of Aspers )get your catalog & buy with friends or yourself for better pricing & size by caliper & you can mix varieties ,or look online

ive had sentanyabraska/September sun which I got from burntridge and krupnopladnaya which I bought locally. the krup fruited I only got a few though and it was an extremely slow grower. they were probably about the size of a finger tip and tasted like store kiwi except less sour, similar to gold kiwis if you ever see those in the store. the September sun never really did anything. they definetly need some shade. my male never got the pink highlights either that you see in pictures. I think I went through 4 plants over a couple years (plus an issai which is an arguta, grew pretty well but died over winter) and never really had success, nor did I like the fruit much (not bad but I like the more sour fuzzies better) so I don't recommend them but ive seen some people with them thriving

Redosier dogwood Willows -- flame, and arctic blue in particular. High bush and low bush cranberry Canada buffaloberry Sea buckthorn Wolf willow Native chokecherry Native pincherry Green Alder Lilacs -- vulgaris and villosa cultivars. S. paliban and S. reticulata may not be hardy there. Ussurian Pear Hawthorn Blueberries Raspberries -- souris and double delight. Mulch in winter. Snowberry Mountain ash. (prune as a shrub) Red elderberry Wild rose Rugosa roses. Gooseberry Black current. Mugo pine.