Growth stocks are the beauties of the stock world, plain and simple. They're exciting, they have good stories, and they can make you a lot of money. Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE:POT) may be off from its highs lately, but over the past five years, this potash slinger’s huge profit growth has led to gains of more than 1,000% for its investors.

But for all their beauty, growth stocks are also the prima donnas of the market. They can be erratic, they don't always live up to their billing, and they tend to attract a shareholder base that's ready and willing to run at the first signs of slowdown. For those reasons, caution is certainly in order when you enter the world of growth investing.

Fortunately, The Motley Fool's CAPS service brings us the collective intelligence of a community of more than 115,000 investors, and it’s a great resource for separating the Jessica Albas from the Jabba the Hutts. Each of the stocks competing for this week's top spot has a market cap of at least $100 million and grew its net profit by at least 20% over the past year. So let's go ahead and meet our contestants.

Mosaic
If you like Potash Corp., then chances are you'll be a fan of Mosaic (NYSE:MOS) as well. Though Mosaic's name may not be as descriptive of its business as Potash Corp.'s, the company mines and sells phosphate- and potash-based nutrients for plants and animals. Over the past few years, the sharp increase in demand for grains -- to turn into fuel and livestock feed, as well as for direct consumption -- has meant that companies like Mosaic and Potash Corp. have been able to benefit from spiking prices for the products they sell.

Garmin
For a directionally challenged chap like myself, Garmin (NASDAQ:GRMN) is a lifesaver. This Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick is probably best known for its personal navigation devices (PNDs), which can either be bought on their own or integrated into new cars from manufacturers like Ford and Honda. However, the device maker's products run a much larger gamut, including wrist- or bike-mounted navigators for outdoors enthusiasts, marine products, and devices for use in airplanes. Garmin has seen strong growth in all segments of its business, but as a PND becomes a must-have for more people in their cars, that segment of the business has absolutely exploded.

Trina Solar
The solar cells that Trina Solar (NYSE:TSL) produces are pretty standard. Like many other newer solar-cell companies, Trina has low overhead, since it’s based in the manufacturing haven of China. And like the rest of its competitors, Trina is doing its best to keep a steady supply of polysilicon as shortages wrack the industry. Though Trina may not be heavily differentiated from competitors like Suntech Power and First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), this may not matter if the solar industry continues to grow the way many investors expect.

Turkcell
Though Turkey may not be part of the nice, neat "BRIC" acronym (it stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China), few economists would leave it off a list of emerging markets to watch. As with any emerging economy, there's the potential for instability in Turkey, but growth has been robust -- between 2002 and 2007, annual GDP growth averaged 7.4%. For Turkcell (NYSE:TKC), this is good news, since this Motley Fool Global Gains pick is the mobile communications market leader in Turkey with a 57% market share. And if there's anything that seems to be heavily correlated with economic growth these days, it's mobile phone penetration.

Vornado Realty
A lot of people are understandably underwhelmed by the idea of investing in real estate right now, but Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO) has a doozy of a portfolio. Among other things, the company has an ownership stake in 16 million square feet of office space in New York City, 17.6 million square feet of office space in Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia, and a 70% stake in 555 California Street -- a major piece of San Francisco's financial district. Oh yeah, and for the kid in us all, the company has a 33% stake in Toys "R" Us. As for growth, it's all about acquiring new properties and raising rents on the prime properties that it already owns.

The envelope, please ...
For CAPS members, the real-estate stigma was just too much for Vornado to overcome, and it's stuck with the dreaded one-star rating. Trina Solar and Mosaic ended up with two- and three-star ratings, respectively -- better than Vornado, but still low on the CAPS totem pole.

As for Garmin, its four-star rating says that this is definitely a stock worth a hard look, but it just didn't have enough of a fan base to top this week's top growth stock, Turkcell. CAPS members have been highly positive on Turkcell, with more than 97% of the members that have rated it giving it an outperform rating. CAPS All-Star Bobist chimed in back in early 2007, saying:

The largest cell phone provider in Turkey. I'm taking a bit of a chance on this, but Turkey's political and economic future look more stable than it's recent past. Based on a recent visit the place seems to be booming and yet not all that many people had a cell phone stuck in their ear. I think more Turks will go wireless over the next few years and [Turkcell] will be their provider.

Now go vote!
Do you think Turkcell has what it takes to be America's next top growth stock? Head over to CAPS and let the rest of the community know what you think.

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