One of my famous asides follows: The parent species-Thuja occidentalis-is always and everywhere considered slow-growing. So, up in my plantation, this an old farm field, I occasionally transplant native species T. o.'s that are coming up suppressed in too-deep shade or over-crowded under a mother tree in the woods. I have no idea how old these things are at time of moving, so that skews what I'm about to report, just a bit. Anyway, back maybe in 2010 or so, I moved some into an area where I've also planted some red pine, white pine, Norway spruce, etc.....all known to be fast growers. Last weekend, standing there looking at this patch, the tallest of all were the Thujas. And by a considerable margin. Now this is perfect conditions for that species, but it ain't shabby for the others either. I found that interesting, that the native tree, at least in youth, does not appear to be all that slow a grower. Keep in mind, most of the named cultivars of this plant were selected for even greater foliar density and this speaks to a slower overall growth rate, or height increment anyway. The species, by contrast with these cultivars, is a rangier, more tree-like thing, with easily discernible branch tiers, not unlike a spruce or pine. Not the tight little bun of a cultivar. They still end up being very dense, but not in the hyped-up manner of 'Smaragd' et al. +oM

The only info I can find is close to what you say: "roughly a foot a year", but there are some people saying its reached over twenty feet tall in ten years..... At the same time I have read that site conditions really can make or break growth. On shallow dry soils it apparently grows shorter wider and slower. On its prefered habitat (floodplains, which is why it can take wet feet in your yard) they grow taller more narrow and faster..... Maybe I just answered my own question? lol ==>>> yes.. you did ... how any given plant does ... in your little slice of heaven .. in your soil .. in your climate.. in your sun ... in your microclimate ..... with your winter... is frankly.. unanswerable ... except by your experience.. after the fact .... i would sum up your info ... to think it will grow at least one foot ... with potential of two ... what more specificity could there be.. with all the unknown variables??? grow the seeds.. have fun .. and if things dont work out in say.. a decade or two.. cut the tree down and get on with life ... just as you would with any underperforming annual or perennial ... too many peeps think that just because its a tree .. its not disposable if things dont work out.. the only real difference is the time scale ... are you really not going to have fun with a few seeds.. just because in 20 years it might not all work out .... ??? .. i think not.. go for it .. damn the facts and reality .. lol ... eh??? ken ps: you do know.. that canada is NOT kentucky.. right???? ,,,, lol ... and that most likely.. you wont get coffee off the tree ... NO little cups of tim hortons lattes hanging off the branches in fall .. lol This post was edited by ken_adrian on Thu, Apr 3, 14 at 11:55

http://oikostreecrops.com/store/product.asp?cookiecheck=yes&numRecordPosition=3&P_ID=384&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=96 "Prairie Cascade Willow Salix pentaphyllum 'Prairie Cascade' A fast growing hybrid willow from Morden Research Station in Manitoba. A smaller form of willow, Prairie Cascade has golden-yellow stems and glossy leaves and is more disease and insect resistant. Its smaller size (35-45') makes it a good choice for those of us who want a weeping willow, but have smaller yards with less space. One of the best landscape willows. Can be limbed up real easy to form a straight trunk. Average growth rate of 3-5 ft. per year. I like this selection better than the "zippy" Australian clones because the foliage is darker and much more dense. Hardiness -40 °F." http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_edfd.html "his is a weeping deciduous tree, 35'-45' tall and wide, with yellowish-brown shoots. Leaves are elliptic, very shiny, medium green above, up to 5" long. 'Prairie Cascade' is a hybrid of S. pentandra x S.'Blanda', and does not bear catkins. A beautiful specimen by water, but don't plant this tree anywhere near a septic system or its lines or you and the Roto-Rooter man will know each other on a first name basis." http://www.mnpower.com/treebook/fact102.html "Weeping growth habit with fine textured branches. Bright yellow color of young stems. Description: Height: 50-70' Width: 30-50' Hardiness Zone: 3b Weeping Willows are large round to wide-spreading trees with slender, pendulous branches. New shoots are yellow to yellow-green in color. Leaves are very narrow and 2-4" long. Foliage emerges very early in the spring and remains on the tree late into the fall. They grow very rapidly. Because of their size and pendulous habit, they are best used only on large properties. Willows hybridize readily and their precise identification can be quite confusing. Requirements and Culture: Not demanding of site conditions. Prefer ample moisture and are often found along waterways. Branches break readily so pruning and clean up is frequently required. Limitations: Tree size and form and brittle branches limit usefulness on small properties. Species and Selected Cultivars: S. alba `Tristis' - is the common Golden Weeping Willow. It is a large tree. Sometimes sold as `Niobe'. `Prairie Cascade' - was developed at the Experiment Station in Morden, Manitoba Canada. It is a hybrid combining the form of the Weeping Willow with the glossy foliage of the Laurel Willow." http://www.umanitoba.ca/afs/plant_science/courses/PLNT0790/woodyplantsnotes/woody_plantsr_s.html "Salix hybrid 'Prairie Cascade' (Prairie Cascade Willow) Native Habitat / Origin. 'Prairie Cascade' is a hybrid resulting from a cross between Salix alba var. tristis (for the weeping habit) and Salix pentandra (for cold hardiness). Developed and introduced by Wilbert Ronald at the Agriculture Canada Research Centre, Morden, Manitoba in 1981. Hardiness zone. Zone 3a. Shade tolerance. Relatively intolerant. Habit and size. Medium tree, 12 to 15 m tall and wide, round, with cascading, pendulous branches, less so in winter. It grows as a multi-stemmed plant. Fast growth rate. Medium-fine texture in winter; medium to medium-fine texture in summer. Leaves. Leaves are shiny, dark green, alternate, simple, elliptic-lanceolate to ovate, acuminate tips, rounded base, serrulate margins. Flowers. Female clone. Flowers occur in catkins, borne on short, leafy, axillary shoots. Not very showy. Fruits are small capsules that split into two halves when mature to reveal hairy seeds. Culture. 'Prairie Cascade' has grown well at the University of Manitoba through difficult winters and with no supplementary irrigation. Landscape value. Valued for its yellow twigs and cascading form, given that weeping willows are not generally hardy enough for the prairies. It is useful for large properties, parks, and golf courses. Willows have extensive root systems and are not usually recommended for residential properties. May suffer winter die-back." Prairie Cascade is a hybrid resulting from a cross between Salix alba var. tristis and Salix pentandra. Mine is not weeping yet but shooting straight up up and far away high up there.

Thuja occidentalis 'Nigra' (American Arborvitae) are considered to have a medium growth rate in the range of 8" - 1.5ft p/year, depending on conditions. You didn't mention how much sun and water they are getting. Best tip would be to keep them watered appropriately and be patient. Hopefully by late summer, it was closer to fall. You should only plant in Spring and Fall. If they came from a big box store, they probably sat out in their parking lot burning all summer long before you planted them...so your lucky they survived. Now that you got them recovered, just remember the phase "First year they sleep, Second they creep, and third year they leap"...you should start seeing some typical growth this spring summer now they they are settled in. This post was edited by SC77 on Wed, Mar 26, 14 at 22:44