Choosing tomorrow trees today
The joys and challenges of tree planting lists...
This year, we celebrate the 50th National Tree Week. Through my work at The Tree Council, I am lucky enough to have been part of 36 of them. That’s a long time professionally, and in human terms, but in the lives of many of the trees I have planted, it’s really only the beginning.
In the right conditions, an oak tree can live for a thousand years. Humans may make a century with good health, so perhaps one human year equates to ten oak tree years. This means the first oak trees I planted - 36 years ago - are now equivalent to a three-year-old human, and still at the very beginning of their journey. The question is, what will life throw at them over the next 50 years? And, secondly, how do we ensure the trees we plant this year survive? – especially with the changes to our weather and climate that are predicted.
One answer to that question came in the lead up to National Tree Week, as Forestry England and Forest Research/Scottish Forestry released lists of trees they described as ‘priority tree species identified by scientific analysis to future-proof the nation’s forests against climate change and disease’. The three organisations go on to say that these species were selected to ‘withstand extreme weather, resist pests and diseases and provide commercial timber for decades ahead’. Included in these lists are 13 native broadleaves and 1 native conifer, 5 naturalised and planted broadleaves and 15 non-native conifers.
The research also states – these species have been selected for their ‘commercial timber properties’.
Timber is an important and valid reason for growing trees. It is also important to remember it is only one of many reasons. In 2024, the University of Reading produced a list of 33 trees for agroforesty production – where farmers grow trees on their land to produce food, as well as timber. This list contains apples and pears and walnuts – trees not included in the list of trees selected for their timber properties.
Others have produced further lists, with the UK’s gardening charity, the RHS, detailing dozens of trees suited for a changing climate in urban areas, parks and gardens.
One extremely detailed list prepared for urban areas by the Trees and Design Action Group covers specific information on more than 280 trees, alongside a tool for professional landscapers to help identify potential trees for planting, based on a range of criteria.
Tony Kirkham, the former Head of Arboretum at Kew Gardens suggested a list of more than 100 trees suitable for parks and gardens in a changing climate. Kew itself produced its own succession plan for the world famous gardens based on extensive research – including many trees suited to cope with the more stressful conditions expected in the future.
Over the last few years, I spent a long time preparing a new tree identification book, with a list at its heart. This book is primarily about our native trees and shrubs. The first task I had to undertake was to produce the species list on which it will be based. One would have thought this would be an easy thing to do – but oh no it wasn’t!
It might sound obvious, but the first question I hit was, what is a tree? In British law, a tree is unhelpfully described as ‘anything one would ordinarily think of as a tree’. So where then does the distinction between a tree and a shrub lie? Is a Dwarf Willow a tree if it’s only a few centimetres tall? What is a native species?
Unpacking these and many other questions ended up taking me four years – much longer than I had expected - but it did finally provide me with a list of 113 ‘trees’ that are native to Britain and Ireland. So could this be the basis of a good planting mix – species that occur here naturally? They obviously support a wide range of our native wildlife, but in urban areas - are native species the priority? Can our native species cope with the increasingly hot conditions found in urban areas in high summer? Should we instead be planting species from a more southerly distribution better able to cope with these warmer conditions?
The Met Office produced a detailed model for the UK’s future climate which suggests there is ‘an increased chance of warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers along with an increase in the frequency and intensity of extremes’. Uncertain and increasingly varied weather suggests to me that any tree lists should be treated as guidance only, and any list will need to be updated regularly as the weather changes. It’s unlikely that any list could become the uniform prescription for all tree planting, because one of the things we do know, is that diverse ecosystems are more able to withstand change than monocultures. And all of this needs to be paired with local knowledge.
For me, the problem with lists is that people become wedded to the simplicity of picking things from the list. It’s why people create Christmas present lists to make the task of picking the right gift easier. But remember that a Christmas present list is specific to an individual person. And every person you buy a present for, will have their own tailored list. Well this is true for trees too!
Lists have their place but should also raise many questions. The first one should always be ‘Why am I planting this tree?’ You might be planting a tree for timber, you might be planting a tree for food production, you might be planting a tree for its biodiversity potential, or its autumn colour, or its spring flowers, or a combination of all these and other things. In fact, I think that devising a list of trees that ‘make people feel good’ could be a great project to explore, as the social and cultural values of trees, especially those in our towns and cities, are just as important as all the other benefits they offer.
The next question should be, Where am I planting my tree? As part of a wood, in a park, in a hedge, in a copse, a street, or in my garden? All are places where a tree can be planted, but each potentially changes the species choice.
And finally it’s vital to consider the conditions around the tree – what type of soil, how wet is the ground and how much space do I have? These are the some of the factors which determine the likelihood of any tree thriving into the future.
And if all of that wasn’t enough – the climate is changing. Warmer summers, drier springs, less winter frosts and snow, heavy sporadic rainfall - all of which will play a role in both the short term and long-term survival of our trees.
So, remember this National Tree Week – for your young tree to stand a good chance of survival, you will need to use your best judgement to pick the right tree, for the right reason and plant it well, in the right place. Of course, use lists prepared by experts to help you – they are the inspiration and the recipe cards for success. Just make sure you choose the right list for the right reason. With tree planting, like with so many other things, one list definitely does not fit all!
National Tree Week 2025 runs from November 22 – 30. To find out how to get involved, search for your nearest NTW themed library, access resources, or to book events, please visit www.nationaltreeweek.org.uk
Jon Stokes is The Tree Council’s Director of Trees, Science & Research
Find out more about The Tree Council at treecouncil.org.uk. Sign up to our monthly newsletter The Leaflet, and follow our social accounts: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, YouTube.
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Thanks for raising this topic. I live in Australia, so we have different climate-related challenges to adapt to than in the UK. My thought is to look at what grows well in our local climate - especially native species. Every climate has natives with diverse genetics adapted to local microclimates, having survived without human help.
Our local Landcare organisations and native nurseries educate and promote understanding of how these species can not only add ecosystem services to our gardens and public spaces but also support wildlife as they adapt to changing climate conditions.
I teach people how to grow food gardens, so from that perspective, planting edible trees for human resilience and sustainability is a priority. For this reason, selecting suitable species of fruiting trees for planting in our own gardens, public spaces and community plots where they are also managed and cared for, could be worth adding to the list.
I see RHS includes almonds and plums (for hot, dry conditions) and pecans (for waterlogged soil) on their list of adaptive species. In my subtropical climate, macadamia nuts, mulberries, avocados and native fruit trees are just a few that thrive regardless of what the weather does - as long as they are planted in the right position. Keep up the great work.
I know the subject isn't central to your excellent article, but I think we need to be more nuanced when talking about tree ages. "Oak trees can live a thousand years" is true, but so is "most actual trees don't live much longer than most humans". Example 1: I'm currently studying the history of the trees in Bath's Botanical Gardens. There is seemingly nothing left from the original garden of 1840, and only a handful of trees (incl. 3 ginkgos, a catalpa and a Cedar of Lebanon) left from the re-establishment of the gardens in 1887. Example 2: A familiar big, landmark box-elder in the centre of Bath fell last week. Many assumed it was contemporary with the Georgian terrace where it grew. In fact it was planted in 1969. Example 3: Within 20m of that tree is a famous London Plane, more than 7m in girth. The urban legend is that it served as a gallows in medieval times. In fact it was planted in 1880 (I expect the twin tree in Bradford-on-Avon illustrating your article is a similar age). Example 4: A couple of miles to the East of Bath, the NT recently declared an oak on their newly acquired Bathampton Meadows to be about 850 years old. Judging by the full crown, I would estimate 250 years. Why does this matter? Partly because perpetuating misleading ideas is never good. Partly also because a 150-year-old tree in an urban street or a 200-year-old tree in an urban park is actually a remarkable thing, to be celebrated and protected. The public's badly calibrated sense of tree ages would suggest such trees are mere juveniles, rather than vulnerable senior arboreal citizens. Thank-you listening to my TED talk.