For the first several hundred years of its use, grow seems to have referred only to vegetation. If you know my thoughts about the Food graph and the hope I derive from that little uptick at the end, then you can imagine my delight that

…the Forest will grow somewhat more wholesome.

The Hobbit 19.007

Please note that, in chapters 11 through 17, it is not often organic things which grow, but darkness or light, or sounds or discomfort.

• 1.004 because their feet grow natural leathery soles
• 1.005 until Bilbo Baggins was grown up,
• 1.122 Anyway they grew immensely rich
• 1.122 which we never bothered to grow or find for ourselves.
• 2.028 and the roads grew steadily worse.
• 3.008 They were growing anxious,
• 3.008 with flowers growing bright
• 3.012 The air grew warmer as they got lower,
• 3.034 grew refreshed
• 4.003 and danger had grown
• 4.038 growing fainter behind him.
• 5.011 while their eyes grew bigger
• 5.026 And yet never grows?
• 5.101 As suspicion grew
• 5.122 As the count grew he slowed down,
• 6.003 but all the while a very uncomfortable thought was growing inside him.
• 6.045 and over the black tops of those growing lower down
• 6.048 they came suddenly to an opening where no trees grew.
• 7.024 It grew very hot.
• 7.025 all the same kinds growing together as if they had been planted.
• 7.095 but Beorn seemed to be growing drowsy
• 7.096 and the voices seemed to grow far away,
• 7.126 and nuts are about all that grows there fit for food;
• 7.134 Ivy grew on them
• 8.004 before they grew to hate the forest
• 8.036 Nothing wholesome could they see growing
• 8.038 and they grew very weary.
• 8.041 of an enormous oak that grew right out into the path,
• 8.131 and grew fairer
• 8.131 that grew tall
• 9.018 though no vines grew
• 9.029 until his following had grown to twelve –
• 9.061 where the trees on either hand grew thinner.
• 10.001 The day grew lighter
• 10.005 late in the day the shores grew rocky,
• 10.038 and they quickly grew fat
• 10.039 grew stronger every day.
• 11.004 The land about them grew bleak
• 11.019 and they grew terrified, too,
• 11.026 and our beards will grow
• 12.004 may your beard grow ever longer,’
• 12.011 As he went forward it grew
• 12.011 and grew,
• 12.011 This grew to the unmistakable gurgling noise
• 12.031 they could hear the roar of the flying dragon grow
• 12.033 the terror of the dwarves grew less.
• 12.069 Now a nasty suspicion began to grow
• 12.081 and his heels grew properly again:
• 12.090 and his foreboding grew.
• 12.099 Darkness grew deeper
• 12.099 and he grew ever more uneasy.
• 13.018 The light grew smaller
• 13.019 Slowly it grew to a little globe of pallid light.
• 13.032 he grows suddenly bold,
• 13.046 and the grey light grew suddenly more full.
• 14.011 and growing ever huger
• 14.011 before the roar of Smaug’s terrible approach grew loud,
• 14.025 and the wind grew loud
• 15.043 and grew merry;
• 16.003 and he grew afraid,
• 16.003 for as the weariness of the days grew heavier,
• 16.010 may his beard grow ever longer;
• 17.042 Even as Gandalf had been speaking the darkness grew.
• 17.059 And as the valley widened his onset grew ever slower.
• 18.022 and he seemed to have grown almost to giant-size
• 18.038 May your beards never grow thin!’
• 18.049 May your shadow never grow less
• 19.002 Here grass is still growing,
• 19.007 the Forest will grow somewhat more wholesome.