---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not how fast a tree grows, but how…"
description: "\"“It is not how fast a tree grows, but how well. It is not how big a fruit is, but how sweet.”\" — Matshona Dhliwayo"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/matshona-dhliwayo-52_growth-quotes_it-is-not-how-fast-a-tree-grows-but-how_1147800.jpg"
---

#  It is not how fast a tree grows, but how well. It is not…

![“It is not how fast a tree grows, but how well. It is not how big a fruit is, but how sweet.” quote by Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/matshona-dhliwayo-52_growth-quotes_it-is-not-how-fast-a-tree-grows-but-how_1147800.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/matshona-dhliwayo-52_growth-quotes_it-is-not-how-fast-a-tree-grows-but-how_1147800.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/matshona-dhliwayo-52_growth-quotes_it-is-not-how-fast-a-tree-grows-but-how_1147800.jpg)

> ““It is not how fast a tree grows, but how well. It is not how big a fruit is, but how sweet.””

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Growth should be measured by quality and sweetness, not speed or size.

**In simple terms:** Focus on the quality of growth, not how fast it happens.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize depth over rapid expansion.

Themes

growth quality patience wisdom nature

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- personal development
- agricultural practices
- business strategy

Key Concepts

Intrinsic value sustainable development

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you assess the 'sweetness' of your progress?
- What practices foster quality over quantity?

A Different Perspective

Speed is often valued in modern culture, overlooking depth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Fruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fruit/) [Fruit Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fruit-sweet-1287007/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Growth quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth-quotes/) [Matshona-dhliwayo-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matshona-dhliwayo-quotes/) [Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweet/) [Tree Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree-grows-380847/) [Tree-quotations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree-quotations/) [Tree-quote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree-quote/) [Tree-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree-quotes/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) [Wisdom quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-quotes/) [Wisdom-quotations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-quotations/) [Wisdom-quote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-quote/) [Wise-quotations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-quotations/) [Wise-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-quotes/) [Wise-sayings-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-sayings-quotes/) [Wise-words-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-words-quotes/)

## Related quotes

> [“It is in the shade that you look up at a tree and appreciate its efforts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/it-is-in-the-shade-that-you-look-up-at-a-tree-and-appreciate-its/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Today's seeds are tomorrow’s trees.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/today-s-seeds-are-tomorrow-s-trees/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Trees generously share their fruit. Bees generously share their honey. Flowers generously share their perfume. Do likewise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/trees-generously-share-their-fruit-bees-generously-share-their-honey/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“The tree that bears the most fruit gets the most attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/the-tree-that-bears-the-most-fruit-gets-the-most-attention/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“A tree will not wither and die because the wind blew away one leaf.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-tree-will-not-wither-and-die-because-the-wind-blew-away-one-leaf/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“A tree is naked, no matter how big, if it does not have leaves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-tree-is-naked-no-matter-how-big-if-it-does-not-have-leaves/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“A tree dances for the wind not because it enjoys it, but because it doesn’t want to break.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-tree-dances-for-the-wind-not-because-it-enjoys-it-but-because-it/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Don’t judge a tree by its size, but by its fruit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/don-t-judge-a-tree-by-its-size-but-by-its-fruit/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“A shrub that bears fruit deserves to be watered more than a tree that does not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-shrub-that-bears-fruit-deserves-to-be-watered-more-than-a-tree-that/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“You are not honored for the fruit you pick, but for the trees you plant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/you-are-not-honored-for-the-fruit-you-pick-but-for-the-trees-you-plant/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“A tree's beauty lies in its branches, but its strength lies in its roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-tree-s-beauty-lies-in-its-branches-but-its-strength-lies-in-its/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“A tree’s size is inconsequential if it bears no fruit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-tree-s-size-is-inconsequential-if-it-bears-no-fruit/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“If you waste time watering a fruitless tree, fruitful ones may die of thirst.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/if-you-waste-time-watering-a-fruitless-tree-fruitful-ones-may-die-of/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“The taller a tree the deeper its roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/the-taller-a-tree-the-deeper-its-roots/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“It is the roots which give a tree strength, not its branches.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/it-is-the-roots-which-give-a-tree-strength-not-its-branches/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

## More by Matshona Dhliwayo

> [“Intelligence says think. Understanding says ponder. Insight says perceive. Enlightenment says overcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/intelligence-says-think-understanding-says-ponder-insight-says/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Love is the heart’s best tenant; it always pays its rent on time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/love-is-the-heart-s-best-tenant-it-always-pays-its-rent-on-time/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Your mind has the intellect to lift the world, your heart has the wisdom to better the world, and your soul has the genius…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/your-mind-has-the-intellect-to-lift-the-world-your-heart-has-the/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“When a wolf is hungry it befriends sheep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/when-a-wolf-is-hungry-it-befriends-sheep/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“If you try to measure love's power, you will run out of measuring tape.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/if-you-try-to-measure-love-s-power-you-will-run-out-of-measuring-tape/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Your highest thoughts hold the key to your highest rewards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/your-highest-thoughts-hold-the-key-to-your-highest-rewards/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Your soul is your paintbrush, your world is your canvass, your life is your masterpiece.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/your-soul-is-your-paintbrush-your-world-is-your-canvass-your-life-is/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Truth sees the world as it is; hope sees the world as it could be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/truth-sees-the-world-as-it-is-hope-sees-the-world-as-it-could-be/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Falling in love is not the problem; hitting your head on the way down is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/falling-in-love-is-not-the-problem-hitting-your-head-on-the-way-down/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Life is the school of the wise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/life-is-the-school-of-the-wise/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Spend time with people who enrich your mind, nourish your heart, and illuminate your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/spend-time-with-people-who-enrich-your-mind-nourish-your-heart-and/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“You have the world in your hands if you have the universe in your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/you-have-the-world-in-your-hands-if-you-have-the-universe-in-your-soul/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“A happy wife is the key to a happy home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-happy-wife-is-the-key-to-a-happy-home/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“You cannot fast-forward time, you cannot rewind it, and you cannot pause it; you can only waste or benefit from it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/you-cannot-fast-forward-time-you-cannot-rewind-it-and-you-cannot/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“In knowledge there is strength, in understanding there is might, and in wisdom there is power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/in-knowledge-there-is-strength-in-understanding-there-is-might-and-in/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

[Explore all 1,907 Matshona Dhliwayo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

## More Flower quotes

> [“It is not the force of the wind, but the depth of the roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-is-not-the-force-of-the-wind-but-the-depth-of-the-roots/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period - When March is scarcely here A Color stands abroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/a-light-exists-in-spring-not-present-on-the-year-at-any-other-period/)

[Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/)

> [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Most girls get flowers or candy. I get a declaration of martial law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-shearin/most-girls-get-flowers-or-candy-i-get-a-declaration-of-martial-law/)

[Lisa Shearin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-shearin/)

> [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism and baseball. Spring training is a time to think about being young again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-banks/spring-training-means-flowers-people-coming-outdoors-sunshine/)

[Ernie Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-banks/)

> [Sometimes, sometimes it is really difficult to turn and walk away from someone you have loved and cherished for so long. You know deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kreger/sometimes-sometimes-it-is-really-difficult-to-turn-and-walk-away-from/)

[David Kreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kreger/)

> [This, at last, was where things were as they ought to be. Everything was in its place -- the tree, the earth underneath, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/this-at-last-was-where-things-were-as-they-ought-to-be-everything-was/)

[Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/)

> [A garden has a curious innocent way of consuming cash while all the time you are under the illusion that you are spending nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-meynell/a-garden-has-a-curious-innocent-way-of-consuming-cash-while-all-the/)

[Esther Meynell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-meynell/)

> [My days – the blossom of my youth and the flower of my manhood – have been darkened by the dreariness of servitude. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-o-connell/my-days-the-blossom-of-my-youth-and-the-flower-of-my-manhood-have/)

[Daniel O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-o-connell/)

> [My life is a crystal teardrop. There are snowflakes falling in the teardrop and little figures trudging in slow motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/my-life-is-a-crystal-teardrop-there-are-snowflakes-falling-in-the/)

[Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/)

> [“But any picture could deal with the problem of light. The problem with this picture is greater than that of reflective surfaces - it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-otto/but-any-picture-could-deal-with-the-problem-of-light-the-problem-with/)

[Whitney Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-otto/)

> [“I promise to respect and protect your aloneness, knowing that everything created must have its period of darkness: child and bulb, poem and personality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/i-promise-to-respect-and-protect-your-aloneness-knowing-that/)

[anne morrow lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/)

> [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/)

[Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/)

> [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/)

[Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/)

[Browse all 12,347 Flower quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It is not how fast a tree grows, but how well. It is not how big a fruit is, but how sweet.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Matshona Dhliwayo"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/it-is-not-how-fast-a-tree-grows-but-how-well-it-is-not-how-big-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Flower"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/it-is-not-how-fast-a-tree-grows-but-how-well-it-is-not-how-big-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/matshona-dhliwayo-52_growth-quotes_it-is-not-how-fast-a-tree-grows-but-how_1147800.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/matshona-dhliwayo-52_growth-quotes_it-is-not-how-fast-a-tree-grows-but-how_1147800.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/matshona-dhliwayo-52_growth-quotes_it-is-not-how-fast-a-tree-grows-but-how_1147800.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is not how fast a tree grows, but how well. It is not how big a fruit is, but how sweet.” — Matshona Dhliwayo",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Matshona Dhliwayo",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It is not how fast a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/it-is-not-how-fast-a-tree-grows-but-how-well-it-is-not-how-big-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/it-is-not-how-fast-a-tree-grows-but-how-well-it-is-not-how-big-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
