I usually come at this from a big tree standpoint but another post got me thinking.

When I plant a tree I look at the Missouri big tree list and the MOBOT description to see how large they get here. My Scarlett oak for example has a 125' cousin someplace in the state and the 80' or whatever MOBOT lists seems reasonable for me to plan on.

With conifers my metasequoia, well if they are 90' tall in 60 years twenty miles from me at MOBOT I shoukd leave room for similar.

These thuja occidentalis (sp) arbs I have were planted off the ten year listed height and what do ya know, two hit it pretty accurately. Now I figure whike they grow a foot a year they will not get to the size of my oak ever is Missouri. Something will limit their growth.

On the extreme end, the big sequoias just seem about at their limit for height even in CA. Smaller foliage at the too and limits to how high the tree can move moisture.

Don't all species have an effective maximum limitation?