Latest Articles

Over the course of the last week many of you may have taken advantage of the half term break or long Bank Holiday weekend combined with fine weather to get away and enjoy some outdoors activities. Our team were out surveying in the New Forest and North Somerset, where they were thankful for the cooling shade provided by the mature tree stock.

It is becoming more and more critical to replicate this cooling effect as the world increasingly warms. Trees play a crucial role in mitigating urban heat, and integrating them into urban design is now an essential aspect of any development plan. Trees create cooler microclimates by blocking the sunlight from buildings and paved surfaces, and via the process of transpiration – releasing water vapour from their leaves. The overall effect can reduce pedestrian-level air temperatures by 12 degrees centigrade.

The interaction between trees and development applies to all levels of planning. This month we feature a case study in which we assisted the design team in drawing up plans for a single dwelling on a residential site, which was complicated by the presence of a veteran willow, four trees that are subject to TPOs, and an area of the site within a conservation area. The retention and protection of these trees was a critical aspect of the design process, hence a successful outcome was achieved.

In other news, we are delighted to share that we have chosen The Theatre Chipping Norton as our charity of the year – read below about the wonderful arts-based programmes they offer and the impact these have on the local community.

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Tree Frontiers News

  • We were asked to support the design team for a new-build project outside Stratford, where previous plans had been rejected. A detailed tree survey allowed us to identify a number of trees within the s

    Author Imageadmin
    29 May, 2026

  •   We’re excited to share that Tree Frontiers has chosen Chipping Norton Theatre as our Charity of the Year! Partners enable the Theatre to deliver real impact in the local community through arts‑

    Author Imageadmin
    29 May, 2026

  • Service Tree (Sorbus domestica) We are taking a closer look at the service tree this month. Distinct from the wild service tree, this species is native to western, central and southern Europe, northwe

    Author Imageadmin
    28 May, 2026

  • Case Study: Private Development in the Cotswolds We were asked to provide arboricultural advice regarding the extension and redevelopment of a cottage in the Cotswolds. Plans included a subterranean p

    Author Imageadmin
    06 May, 2026

  • We were approached by a local architect team to assist in a scheme at a private residence in the Vale of White Horse district. The client’s vision was to convert an existing outbuilding into an

    Author Imageadmin
    06 May, 2026

  • The Marlborough School – Meet the Employer Event For the third year in a row we were delighted to attend the ‘Meet the Employer’ event at The Marlborough Church of England School in

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    06 May, 2026

  • White Poplar (Populus alba) This month we are focusing our attention on one of the UK’s naturalised species, namely the white poplar. This deciduous tree grows up to heights of around 20m and forms a

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    30 April, 2026

  • This month’s tree is also known as a Chilean Pine and it’s common name comes from the struggles a primate may have when trying to traverse it…. We can certainly say it is a tree clim

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    01 April, 2026

  • We were approached following a holding objection from the Local Planning Authority (LPA) Tree Officer, for a planning application for a new annexe. No arboricultural information had been submitted as

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    01 April, 2026

  • This month’s tree is a native to North America, with an edible fruit, highly sought after timber and historical symbology of prosperity for indigenous Americans. We spotted one in Oxford Botanic

    Author Imageadmin
    27 February, 2026

Industry Articles

Tree Breeding scheme aims to restore ash to the landscape

Researchers at the John Innes Centre, who have adapted the embryo extraction method, found that it rapidly speeds up the germination of European ash seeds. A process that can take up to six years in nature now takes around one week in the lab.

The rapid seed germination method has already produced more than 2,000 seedlings for trials and research. It has been welcomed by the international research community, and, with adaptations, could be adopted by landowners, conservation volunteers, and enthusiast gardeners.

The method, outlined in a recent study, offers hope for those trying to preserve the threatened species by establishing populations of ash families propagated from mother trees that show resistance to ash dieback.

Woodland Trust research shows poor access to urban trees

New research from the Woodland Trust reveals that millions of people across UK towns and cities are living in so‑called “tree deserts” – neighbourhoods with critically low tree cover that leave communities more vulnerable to poor air quality, higher temperatures and poorer health outcomes.

The study highlights a North–South divide, with 15 of the UK’s 20 worst‑performing towns and cities located in the north, and places like Clacton‑on‑Sea, Holyhead and Omagh ranking among the lowest for tree equity. The findings underline a growing environmental and social inequality, reinforcing the need to embed urban trees into future planning so that access to green space doesn’t depend on a postcode.

Satellite data show trees delay budburst across landscapes to escape herbivores

A recent scientific paper explored the relationship between budburst and herbivory of young leaves. The study identifies that leaf emergence has advanced less than expected, despite increasing climatic temperatures. The delay significantly reduced subsequent herbivory by over 50%.

This indicates that trees may be trapped between responding to two opposing consequences of global change: warming selects for earlier budburst, whereas herbivory selects for delay.

Person fined after felling more than 400 trees at former plantation

An individual in East Sussex has been fined after illegally felling more than 400 trees at a former Christmas tree plantation that had been left unmanaged and had grown beyond the usual short‑rotation cycle. The Forestry Commission investigated the unauthorised work, which required a felling licence, and the court ordered the person to pay £1,570 in fines and costs, alongside issuing a restocking notice for the site.

“Every Bramley Apple you’ve ever eaten grew from this one tree”

Campaigners are racing to raise £250,000 to save the Nottinghamshire cottage and garden that houses the 220‑year‑old original Bramley apple tree – the “Mother Bramley”, from which every Bramley apple in the world descends.

Nottingham Trent University, which has cared for the tree for a decade, has put the property up for sale, prompting fears that if it passes into private ownership there will be no guaranteed public access, no independent custodianship and no assurance of the specialist care this fragile, historic tree needs.

Arboriculture meets design: The Gatti chair at RHS Chelsea

At this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, arboriculture meets art in a remarkable way. The Plant Heritage Missing Collector Garden is showcasing a bronze cast of Full Grown’s iconic Gatti Chair — a piece that isn’t built, but grown from living willow over more than a decade. Created by Gavin and Alice Munro, the chair highlights the extraordinary patience, craft and long‑term stewardship at the heart of our sector, reminding us how innovation and nature can shape each other.

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