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Plant ‘tredges’ to boost England’s tree cover, gardeners urged

News Feed
Thursday, December 25, 2025

Gardeners should plant native “tredges” – foliage between the size of a tree and a hedge – to boost England’s tree cover, the Royal Horticultural Society has said.Taking inspiration from ancient woodlands could boost wildlife across England’s 25m gardens, according to experts, and help increase native tree cover. The UK’s woodland cover is approximately 10% and the government aims to increase this to at least 16.5% of all land in England by 2050.A garden demonstrating this approach will be unveiled at the Chelsea flower show in May. The Woodland Trust: Forgotten Forests Garden by Ashleigh Aylett will represent a damaged ancient woodland, transitioning from a dark, monoculture conifer forest to a regenerated, thriving ancient woodland.Her design will include “indicator” plants that can be used to identify ancient woodlands such as wild service tree and red campion.The Woodland Trust has found only 7% of the UK’s native woodland is in good condition, with drastic knock-on effects for the wildlife that make these trees their home.Though her garden will be an ambitious demonstration of recreating an ancient woodland, there are lessons that can be taken from it for all those with a green space at home, such as planting small native trees and “tredges”.Mark Gush, the RHS’s head of environmental horticulture, said: “Often found in ancient woodlands, a top choice for gardeners seeking a small tree is Crataegus laevigata. It is a great example of a ‘tredge’, which can be both a standalone tree or a hedge.“It strikes the perfect balance between beauty and functionality. With attractive foliage, flowers and haws, it is also resilient to wet and dry climate extremes, tolerant of clay soils, and there is research evidence to show that this genus is effective at capturing pollutants from busy roads in summer. Its thorny protective canopy supports biodiversity and helps alleviate flooding risks from summer thunder-showers through effective water uptake.”The Woodland Trust is trying to make tree-planting more accessible for those who have small spaces and are worried about giant trees dwarfing their gardens. Native trees do not need to be large. Planting a small native species could provide spring blossom and plentiful autumn berries, without taking up much space. Diverse trees also provide benefits to the garden because different species have different root architecture, which improves the health and structure of the soil.Aylett’s garden will also demonstrate “forest planting”, showing layered canopies, ranging from ground covers to herbaceous perennials, shrubs and trees of various sizes, which has the benefit of maximising species diversity in limited spaces, and providing protective benefits against climate extremes (hot and cold) offered by this approach.Transitional gardening, where multiple different habitats give way to each other and have diverse borders in between, is a good way to emulate ancient woodland habitat at home, Gush said.He added: “Woodland edges support some of the highest levels of biodiversity because they represent an ‘ecotone’ – a transition zone between different environments. Ecotones between two habitats are often richer in species than either. This is a concept that can be applied incredibly successfully to domestic gardens where ecotones abound – lawns to borders, borders to shrubs and trees, pond edges and more. Think softer gradual transition as opposed to hard cutoff.”The RHS is encouraging gardeners to choose trees grown under the UKISG (UK and Ireland sourced and grown) scheme, which ensures they are raised from seed and helps prevent new pests and diseases from entering the country, one of the most significant threats to native trees. For smaller gardens, instead of fences or walls, they ask that people consider planting a native hedge. This allows people to include native species without needing a huge garden, while also providing valuable food and habitat for the wildlife that relies on them.After the show, the Woodland Trust garden will be relocated to Hawthorn primary school in Newcastle upon Tyne. The school is situated in an area with low tree cover, so will increase access to trees in a neighbourhood where canopy cover is limited.‘Tredges’ that have environmental benefits in the UK, as chosen by the RHS Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Holly (Ilex aquifolium) Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) Common yew (Taxus baccata) Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Royal Horticultural Society’s call backs government aim to increase woodland cover from 10% to at least 16.5% by 2050Gardeners should plant native “tredges” – foliage between the size of a tree and a hedge – to boost England’s tree cover, the Royal Horticultural Society has said.Taking inspiration from ancient woodlands could boost wildlife across England’s 25m gardens, according to experts, and help increase native tree cover. The UK’s woodland cover is approximately 10% and the government aims to increase this to at least 16.5% of all land in England by 2050.Beech (Fagus sylvatica)Holly (Ilex aquifolium)Western red cedar (Thuja plicata)Common yew (Taxus baccata)Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) Continue reading...

Gardeners should plant native “tredges” – foliage between the size of a tree and a hedge – to boost England’s tree cover, the Royal Horticultural Society has said.

Taking inspiration from ancient woodlands could boost wildlife across England’s 25m gardens, according to experts, and help increase native tree cover. The UK’s woodland cover is approximately 10% and the government aims to increase this to at least 16.5% of all land in England by 2050.

A garden demonstrating this approach will be unveiled at the Chelsea flower show in May. The Woodland Trust: Forgotten Forests Garden by Ashleigh Aylett will represent a damaged ancient woodland, transitioning from a dark, monoculture conifer forest to a regenerated, thriving ancient woodland.

Her design will include “indicator” plants that can be used to identify ancient woodlands such as wild service tree and red campion.

The Woodland Trust has found only 7% of the UK’s native woodland is in good condition, with drastic knock-on effects for the wildlife that make these trees their home.

Though her garden will be an ambitious demonstration of recreating an ancient woodland, there are lessons that can be taken from it for all those with a green space at home, such as planting small native trees and “tredges”.

Mark Gush, the RHS’s head of environmental horticulture, said: “Often found in ancient woodlands, a top choice for gardeners seeking a small tree is Crataegus laevigata. It is a great example of a ‘tredge’, which can be both a standalone tree or a hedge.

“It strikes the perfect balance between beauty and functionality. With attractive foliage, flowers and haws, it is also resilient to wet and dry climate extremes, tolerant of clay soils, and there is research evidence to show that this genus is effective at capturing pollutants from busy roads in summer. Its thorny protective canopy supports biodiversity and helps alleviate flooding risks from summer thunder-showers through effective water uptake.”

The Woodland Trust is trying to make tree-planting more accessible for those who have small spaces and are worried about giant trees dwarfing their gardens. Native trees do not need to be large. Planting a small native species could provide spring blossom and plentiful autumn berries, without taking up much space. Diverse trees also provide benefits to the garden because different species have different root architecture, which improves the health and structure of the soil.

Aylett’s garden will also demonstrate “forest planting”, showing layered canopies, ranging from ground covers to herbaceous perennials, shrubs and trees of various sizes, which has the benefit of maximising species diversity in limited spaces, and providing protective benefits against climate extremes (hot and cold) offered by this approach.

Transitional gardening, where multiple different habitats give way to each other and have diverse borders in between, is a good way to emulate ancient woodland habitat at home, Gush said.

He added: “Woodland edges support some of the highest levels of biodiversity because they represent an ‘ecotone’ – a transition zone between different environments. Ecotones between two habitats are often richer in species than either. This is a concept that can be applied incredibly successfully to domestic gardens where ecotones abound – lawns to borders, borders to shrubs and trees, pond edges and more. Think softer gradual transition as opposed to hard cutoff.”

The RHS is encouraging gardeners to choose trees grown under the UKISG (UK and Ireland sourced and grown) scheme, which ensures they are raised from seed and helps prevent new pests and diseases from entering the country, one of the most significant threats to native trees. For smaller gardens, instead of fences or walls, they ask that people consider planting a native hedge. This allows people to include native species without needing a huge garden, while also providing valuable food and habitat for the wildlife that relies on them.

After the show, the Woodland Trust garden will be relocated to Hawthorn primary school in Newcastle upon Tyne. The school is situated in an area with low tree cover, so will increase access to trees in a neighbourhood where canopy cover is limited.

‘Tredges’ that have environmental benefits in the UK, as chosen by the RHS

  • Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

  • Holly (Ilex aquifolium)

  • Western red cedar (Thuja plicata)

  • Common yew (Taxus baccata)

  • Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Read the full story here.
Photos courtesy of

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Crayfish, weevils and fungi released in UK to tackle invasive species such as Japanese knotweed

Scientists working for government breed biological control agents in lab to take on species choking native wildlifeCrayfish, weevils and fungi are being released into the environment in order to tackle invasive species across Britain.Scientists working for the government have been breeding species in labs to set them loose into the wild to take on Japanese knotweed, signal crayfish and Himalayan balsam, and other species that choke out native plants and wildlife. Continue reading...

Crayfish, weevils and fungi are being released into the environment in order to tackle invasive species across Britain.Scientists working for the government have been breeding species in labs to set them loose into the wild to take on Japanese knotweed, signal crayfish and Himalayan balsam, and other species that choke out native plants and wildlife.They are doing this, in part, to meet tough targets set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in its recently announced environmental improvement plan. Ministers have directed the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Apha) to reduce the establishment of invasive species by 50% by 2030.Olaf Booy, deputy chief non-native species officer at Apha, said: “The science around biological control is always developing. It really works for those species that were introduced quite a long time ago, that we haven’t been able to prevent getting here or detect early and rapidly respond.”Scientists have been working out which species would be able to tackle the invasive pests by killing them and reducing their ability to spread, without harming other organisms. Booy said the perk of biological control agents was they reduced the need for human labour.Japanese knotweed in Taff’s Well, near Cardiff. Photograph: Dimitris Legakis/Athena PicturesThis includes targeting floating pennywort, which spreads and chokes the life from rivers, by releasing the South American weevil Listronotus elongatus. Where weevils have overwintered for several years, floating pennywort biomass appears reduced across a number of release sites.Defra has also employed specialist scientists at the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (Cabi) to conduct biological control (biocontrol) research into the use of naturally occurring, living organisms to tackle Japanese knotweed. Cabi has targeted this species using the release of the psyllid Aphalara itadori, which feeds on the plant.Similarly, Cabi has been trialling the release of the rust fungus Puccinia komarovii var. glanduliferae to tackle Himalayan balsam. Defra said the results of the release were encouraging and would continue at compatible sites.“Once the biocontrol agent is working properly, then it should actually start to spread naturally across the range, where the non-native species is, and it will start to bring that population of the non-native species down,” Booy said. “Hopefully, once it starts to establish in the wild, then it sort of starts taking over itself, and the human effort bit starts to reduce significantly.”As well as releasing biological control agents into the wild, government scientists have been breeding threatened species to protect their populations from invasion. Britain’s native white-clawed crayfish has disappeared from most of the country since the invasive American signal crayfish was introduced in the 1970s. These non-native creatures outcompete the native crayfish and carry a deadly plague, making eradication or containment virtually impossible.Himalayan balsam invades the banks of the river Avon. Photograph: Mark Boulton/AlamyInvasive species experts have created protected “ark sites”: safe habitats where white-clawed crayfish can survive free from threats. A new hatchery has been set up in Yorkshire to release them into the wild in secure locations, and in Devon the Wildwood Trust is expanding its hatchery, building a bespoke ark site pond, and rescuing crayfish from rivers under threat. More than 1,500 breeding-age crayfish so far have been translocated to eight safe sites in Gloucestershire.The creatures Booy is most concerned about establishing in the wild include raccoons and raccoon dogs, which are kept as pets but are very good at escaping into the wild.The medium-sized predators could be harmful to the amphibians and small birds they feed on, he said. At the moment, keepers of raccoons and raccoon dogs do not have to register with the government, though breeding and selling them is banned.Social media trends depicting raccoons as cuddly and desirable pets could be a concern, he said: “You do see things like raccoons and raccoon dogs popping up on social media and stuff. Particularly raccoons, they’re kind of cute and cuddly, and you could imagine that a TikTok trend might encourage people to think about getting a species like that. Obviously years ago we had the interest in terrapins from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”He added: “If you have a raccoon, you really need to know how to keep it securely to avoid it escaping. You don’t really want any predators of that sort of size establishing and spreading in the country, because it will have knock-on impacts for biodiversity. But they are also potentially vectors of disease as well.”The biosecurity minister and Labour peer Sue Hayman said: “With a changing climate we are constantly assessing for new risks and threats, including from invasive plants and animals, as well as managing the impacts of species already in this country. Invasive non-native species cost Britain’s economy nearly £2bn a year, and our environmental improvement plan sets out plans to reduce their establishment to protect native wildlife and farmers’ livelihoods.”

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Guggenheim scraps Basque Country expansion plan after local protests

Campaigners celebrate defeat of proposal to extend Bilbao institution into areas including nature reserveEnvironmental groups and local campaigners in the Basque Country have welcomed the scrapping of a project to build an outpost of Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum on a Unesco biosphere reserve that is a vital habitat for local wildlife and migrating birds.The scheme’s backers, which include the Guggenheim Foundation, the Basque government and local and regional authorities, had claimed the museum’s twin sites – one in the Basque town of Guernica and one in the nearby Urdaibai reserve – would help revitalise the area, attract investment and create jobs. Continue reading...

Environmental groups and local campaigners in the Basque Country have welcomed the scrapping of a controversial project that would have seen an outpost of Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum built on a Unesco biosphere reserve that is a vital habitat for local wildlife and migrating birds.The scheme’s backers, who include the Guggenheim Foundation, the Basque government and local and regional authorities, had claimed the new museum’s twin sites – one in the Basque town of Guernica and one in the nearby Urdaibai reserve – would help revitalise the area, attract investment and create jobs.But opponents said the scheme was being pushed through without proper consultation and would wreck Urdaibai, a 22,068-hectare site that was declared a biosphere reserve by Unesco in 1984.In a statement earlier this week, the foundation announced that the project had been abandoned “in light of the territorial, urban planning and environmental constraints and limitations”.It added: “New alternatives will be explored in order to face the challenge of elaborating a proposal that responds to the museum’s objective of growing in order to remain a leading cultural institution internationally and a driving force in the Basque Country’s cultural, economic and social scene.”The Bilbao Museum, which opened in 1997 despite considerable opposition, is credited with helping to reverse the city’s post-industrial decline and put it on the tourist map. But local people and ecologists argued that Urdaibai’s cliffs and estuarine salt marshes were hardly comparable with the polluted, urban site on which the Guggenheim was built.Campaign groups and environmental NGOs such as Greenpeace, WWF, Ecologists in Action, Friends of the Earth and SEO/BirdLife, had all called for the project to be scrapped. News of the foundation’s decision was received enthusiastically.Guggenheim Urdaibai Stop platform said in a statement: “The authorities told us unanimously that they were going to build this museum ‘no matter what’.“They didn’t care about the opinion of society; they didn’t care about the debate generated among citizens. Now, however, we are here celebrating the decision that these same leaders and institutions have had to make, unable to ignore a reality revealed by science, the law, and society.”SEO/BirdLife said “citizen mobilisation” had been key to saving “this threatened natural heritage”, while Greenpeace Spain said: “Social mobilisation works and, together with countless local groups, we have managed to stop the extension of the Guggenheim Museum that threatened to destroy this unique natural space. Urdaibai is already a monument and it will continue to be one.”

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Trump DEI crackdown expands to national park gift shops

The Trump administration’s efforts to purge diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from the federal government is hitting gift shops at national parks. In a memo last month, acting National Park Service director Jessica Bowron called for a review of the items available for purchase in park gift shops. The memo says that items should be...

The Trump administration’s efforts to purge diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from the federal government is hitting gift shops at national parks. In a memo last month, acting National Park Service director Jessica Bowron called for a review of the items available for purchase in park gift shops. The memo says that items should be reviewed for compliance with an order from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to cease activities related to DEI, accessibility or “environmental justice.” Like the order before it, the memo does not appear to define DEI.  Asked whether this means that any product related to people who are minorities would be impacted, a spokesperson for the Interior Department replied, “As you saw the memo, then you know that is not what it says.” Instead, said the spokesperson, Burgum’s order “directs federal agencies to ensure that government-affiliated retail spaces remain neutral and do not promote specific viewpoints.” “To comply with this order, the National Park Service is conducting a review of retail items to ensure our gift shops remain neutral spaces that serve all visitors,” added the spokesperson, who did not sign their name in the response. “The goal is to keep National Parks focused on their core mission: preserving natural and cultural resources for the benefit of all Americans.” The review’s deadline is next Friday. The memo does not appear to lay out specific criteria for the review. The memo was made public this week by the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy organization. “Banning history books from park stores and cracking down on park T-shirts and keychains is not what national park visitors want from their Park Service,” said Alan Spears, the group’s senior director for cultural resources, in a written statement.  “The National Parks Conservation Association opposes this latest move from the administration because we, like the majority of Americans, support telling the full American story at our parks. That means acknowledging hard truths about slavery, climate change, and other topics that challenge us as a nation,” he added. The memo comes as part of a broader Trump administration push to reshape the portrayal of history at national parks and beyond. Earlier this year, the administration directed National Park Service units to review all public-facing content for messaging that disparages Americans or that “emphasizes matters unrelated to the beauty, abundance, or grandeur” of natural features. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Israel Publishes Draft Law Seeking to Boost State Revenues From Dead Sea Minerals

By Steven ScheerJERUSALEM, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Israel on Wednesday published a draft law that aims to boost state revenues from a concession for...

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