In order to understand your woodland's growth rate, you should understand a tree's growth stages. Trees go through four basic stages of growth: seedling, sapling, pole and sawtimber.

Seedlings are young trees with stems less than one-half inch in diameter and may be from six inches to six feet tall.

Saplings are trees with stems between one-half inch and four inches in diameter and may be as tall as 20 feet. Saplings usually still have all living branches and a vigorous growth habit.

Poles are greater than four inches but less than eight inches in diameter. Depending on the species, trees in the pole stage could be as tall as 30 feet.

Sawtimber trees are large enough in diameter (commonly larger than 12 inches across, measured at four and one-half feet above the ground) to cut into valuable lumber. The minimum length for a sawtimber log is usually eight feet.