We're committed to planting more trees across Exeter

Published: 9 December 2019

More and more trees are being planted across Exeter, as we strive to increase the canopy cover across the city.

In the last ten years, we've planted more than 10,000 trees in Exeter. Many of the trees were planted across the city as part of our Urban Woodland project but others have been introduced into parks and open spaces over the years.

We place a high value on trees across the city. Damaged trees are replaced with new ones and we work hard to ensure the city stays green, benefiting the lives of residents, visitors and the environment itself.

We have an ongoing program of tree planting. Successional planting is an essential tool to develop canopy cover and manage tree species biodiversity. Carrying out tree planting on a planned and regular basis helps to create a varied and diverse age structure.

This means that as older trees are lost, they are replaced by already established successors, as occurs naturally in woodlands and forests. A diversity of age ranges also contributes to increased biodiversity, with trees providing differing habitats, food sources and ecological niches at the different stages of their life cycle.

Exeter currently has tree canopy cover of 24.5% across the city and is striving to increase that cover to 30% in the next 20 years. However, the City Council only owns 18% of the total city area, so relies on private land-owners and businesses and organisations to plant trees as well. 

The latest place to benefit from a new tree was Legion Way in Alphington, where a Magnolia tree was planted this week. The tree will provide deep pink/purple flowers in late spring.