Abstract Rates of growth in the value of standing timber can vary greatly from stand to stand and from tree to tree. Faced with this variation, forest managers need guidelines to help determine financial rates of return for their woodlots. In Pennsylvania, the average annual tree value growth rate between 1965 and 1978 was 1.6%. From analyses of the State's forest inventory data, we developed a general guide needing only a tree's commercial soundness (tree class), species, and diameter to assign average rates of value change ranging from -8.8 to 9.0%. The guide can be used to get a general indication of value growth potential for trees and woodlands. North J. Appl. For. 2:11-13, Mar. 1985.