Every year, hundreds of thousands of trees are planted around the UK but for them to stand the best chance of surviving, they will need some basic aftercare. Start by assesing whether your trees are alive and thriving.

Did you know that today is #OakAppleDay 🌳 The celebration marks the return of King Charles II to the throne in 1660 after fleeing and seeking refuge in an oak tree at Boscobel House in Staffordshire, ending the Puritan Commonwealth.

Five lucky readers will win a copy of The Wildness, by Anne Keer – published by Honno Press – an eco-historical novel of love, land, resistance and an old oak tree. Head over to our competition page to enter! treecouncil.org.uk/competition/

This month, the Mayor of London announced investment in 33 community projects to improve London’s green and blue infrastructure, and boost climate resilience.

Our Science & Action Research Manager, Charlotte Benham, joined BBC Radio Scotland live on the balcony of Broadcasting House last week, for the next episode of Out of Doors.

Happy Monday 🌳 We love seeing tree pics when our team are out and about! A majestic oak next to a beautiful hedgerow, taken by our Tree Warden Scheme ‑ Volunteer Engagement Officer, Charlie.

When watering your tree, concentrate efforts under the canopy of the tree, as this is where most of the roots are likely to be. Ensure that you water evenly so that no matter where the roots are, they get some water. 🌳 💧 #TreesLoveCare

We are excited to announce that we were awarded funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA), through the Mayor of London’s Green Roots Fund, to deliver the Young Tree Champions Living Labs programme.

Thank you to everyone who entered our Tree Flower Photo Competition last month! You can now view a gallery of our favourites over on our website. Picture one: Southend Street Trees Picture two: Dunnington Green Initiatives Group Picture three: Beki Pemberton Picture four: Patricia Craven

Grants to support the establishment of thousands of trees, orchards and hedgerows on streets, in parks, and in community and educational spaces are now available through The Tree Council – with funding opportunities for communities across the United Kingdom. Find out more >> buff.ly/GlumYXH

Our Director of Trees, Science and Research spotted the very beautiful starry clover last week. 💚

Did you know that Community Tree Nurseries across the country are growing more than 400,000 trees a year? That’s a huge boost for people, biodiversity and the climate.

Today is International Day of Plant Health! #PlantHealthDay We have several brilliant community tree nursery case studies in our Tree Growers Guide, along with special advice from Salhouse on how to improve your nursery's biosecurity. Head to page 234 of The Tree Growers Guide buff.ly/Mb83Cku

This week is National Plant Health Week, an annual designated week of action to raise public awareness and engagement on how to keep our plants healthy.

And that's a wrap! Thank you so much to everyone who celebrated National Hedgerow Week with us! Although the week has ended, that doesn't mean we have to stop there. Let's continue to cherish and protect our hedgerows and encourage everyone to let them flourish. 💚 #NationalHedgerowWeek

A little message from one of our wonderful Young Tree Champions Ambassadors, Abbi Lawson! #NationalHedgerowWeek

Today is a very special day! Happy 100th birthday, Sir David Attenborough, from all of us at The Tree Council! 🎉 Thank you for opening our eyes to the wonder of the natural world and for inspiring generations to protect and cherish our trees, wildlife, and planet. 🌍💚

Did you know that National Hedgerow Week also coincides with Hedgehog Awareness Week? 💚 We are teaming up with our friends at the British Hedgehog Preservation Society to raise awareness about how hedgerows benefit our British wildlife, including hedgehogs! 🦔

🎁 #NationalHedgerowWeek Giveaway! 🎁 To celebrate National Hedgerow Week, Tree Council Tree Partner, Ecotone, is giving you the chance to win a bundle of goodies from its purpose-driven brands including delicious teas, oat drink, snacks and cakes. Follow the link to enter! >> buff.ly/7xWJLNp

Happy National Hedgerow Week! 🌳 This is a perfect time to celebrate one of our unsung heroes. Often seen simply as boundaries, hedgerows are actually made up of individual trees working together to create a living and breathing ecosystem.

Team Tree Council got together in London earlier this week at the beautiful Roots and Shoots HQ! A huge thank you to Roots and Shoots for having us at your fantastic venue! We enjoyed having a wonderful space to collaborate and having a tour around the gardens.

Our tree flower photo competition winner has been selected! 🌸 🎉 Congratulations Catherine Mason, with a beautiful photo of a copper beech and its flowers situated in Weymouth! 🎉 A huge thank you to everyone who sent in beautiful tree flower photos. We had such a tough time choosing a winner.

Happy Beltane! This is the midpoint between the equinox and the solstice. How will you be celebrating? ☀️ Thank you Geraldine Guilfoyle, for sharing this beautiful photo at sunrise this morning.

Happy #FungiFriday! Today's feature is the yew bracket. Our Director of Trees, Science and Research, tells us all about it!

Enjoy 20 seconds of beautiful blossom, filmed by our Comms and Marketing Manager, Amelie. Don't forget to enter our #TreeFlowerPhotoComp! 🌸

Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) – the green leaves grow up a tree by spiralling around the stem. This often happens in hazel, but here it's happened around a birch. (c) Jon Stokes

Get ready for National Hedgrow Week 2026! Our live, free, online Hedge Talks are full of fascinating facts and inspirational insight from selected experts. Check out this year’s events below! The Craft of Hedgelaying with Nigel Adams Tuesday 5 May, 1-2pm www.tickettailor.com/events/thetr...

Beautiful wild cherry blossom spotted by Jon, our Director of Trees, Science and Research. Don't forget to enter our tree flower photography competition this month! Tag us in your photos and use #TreeFlowerPhotoComp. 🌸

Ash is a widespread, native woodland tree that prefers moist, well-drained and fertile soils. It is very intolerant of shade – young trees will fail to grow in densely shaded areas. Large, spreading specimens can often be seen in hedgerows. A mature ash can produce 100,000 seeds in one season.

Happy #FolkloreThursday! Today's feature is the rowan tree!

Get your camera ready because we have an exciting photo competition! 📷️ To celebrate our annual "Spring in Your Step" campaign, we would love for you to take part in a social media photography competition.

Now is the perfect time to start identifying flowers on trees! 🌸 Here are a few to get you started. #SpringinYourStep

Our Senior Community Planting Projects Officer, Adam, spotted Elder getting ready to show off its flowers! The flowers and berries of elder have a wide range of culinary uses, being made into wines or jams. The flower buds can be infused as a tea!

Win a copy of Nigel Adams’ Hedgelaying: The Complete Guide to a Rural Traditional Rural Craft Competition open to UK residents only. Competition closes at midnight on Sunday 19 April 2026. treecouncil.org.uk/competition/

In the latest Tree Talk Substack article we sat down with Tree Council expert, Joe Coles to talk about the benefits of growing trees, and what he’s growing at home in his garden! Head over to Tree Talk to read the latest Substack article. treetalk.substack.com/p/bringing-n...

Let's celebrate spring! Today is the first day of Spring in Your Step! Taking a walk in springtime can be an invigorating and therapeutic experience for both mind and body.

We had a fantastic evening at the Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool last Friday! Young artists Sonia Poppi and Cara Ng, whose work has been previously exhibited as part of the gallery’s LOOK Climate Lab programme, lead on ‘Bookmark Your Tree’.

Jon Stokes, our Director of Trees, Science and Research, spotted this beautiful comma butterfly that has emerged from hibernation. "Its first need is nectar, which it gets from the early sallow flowers. The sallow gets pollinated and the butterfly gets energy. We love the web of life!"

An abundance of turkey tail on a fallen crab apple branch, spotted by our Grants Officer, Geraldine. Let us know what fungi you have spotted recently! #FungiFriday

A new traditional orchard is taking shape at Naunton Beauchamp, Worcestershire! Planted by The Heart of England Forest and their volunteers, this will be one of the largest new orchards established in the region for decades, helping to restore a habitat that has been disappearing across the UK.

Join us this Friday 27 March, 6pm – 8pm at the Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool, to explore the creative connection between people, trees and the natural world. Head over to our website to find out more >> treecouncil.org.uk/tree-tales-a...

Spring has arrived across the country! 🌸 Now is the time to start spotting tree flowers and the team at The Tree Council has been spotting plenty! Our Spring in Your Step campaign starts next month and we can't wait to celebrate spring with recommended walks, tree flower ID guides and more.

Our Director of Trees, Science and Research, Jon, spotted an oak beauty moth! "At this time of the year, the first moths take to the wing. This is an oak beauty which starts flying in February and March. One of the prettiest early moths, the caterpillars feed on oak, hazel and aspen."

Our latest Tree Talk is now live! Read all about the issues highlighted in this Winter Tree Health Operations Forum update... open.substack.com/pub/treetalk...

Happy spring equinox! How will you be celebrating? We can't wait to continue to see all the wonderful seasonal changes happening. 💚

Happy #FolkloreThursday Today's folklore feature is yew!

Did you know that trees are a great way to reduce noise and traffic pollution? Last week, pupils and Tree Council corporate partners planted trees along the perimeter of Pinkwell and Harlington's school field, which is situated right next to the busy M4.

This is blackthorn and cherry plum that is currently out. We've had quite a few of you asking what the difference is between the two. Blackthorn flowers are half the size of cherry plum flowers. Blackthorn is the size of a small fingernail, whilst the cherry plum is the size of a large fingernail.

Happy #FungiFriday! This is yellow stagshorn, which is common throughout Britain and Ireland. It can be found mostly on the roots and stumps of conifer trees. It has orange-yellow arms that resemble antlers, hence the name yellow stagshorn!

Charlie, our Tree Warden Scheme Volunteer Engagement Officer, visited what could be the oldest oak tree in the Wirral, at around 450-600 years old! Our magnificent oak trees are steeped in folklore! Did you know that carrying oak leaves would protect people from evil?