Source: City of Plymouth
We’re branching out again! Over the next few days over 40 new trees will be taking root in Armada Way, adding even more leafy loveliness to the city centre. Here’s the lowdown on our latest green arrivals:
- Magnolia Kobus – These beauties are blooming marvellous!
- Alders – Perfectly planted in rain gardens, because they absolutely love a good soak.
- Himalayan Birch – Forming a stunning copse grove, surrounded by rain gardens for that extra splash of nature.
- ‘New Horizon’ Elms – Specially bred to thrive in city settings and resistant to Dutch Elm disease, adding strength and structure to the landscape
- Red Maple – a one-of-a-kind showstopper in the scheme marking the new mobility hub.
- London Plane – the tallest and most majestic of them all, this striking specimen will be the crown jewel of Armada Way’s canopy.
These trees have been specially chosen to thrive in a city centre setting, boosting biodiversity and bringing shade, shelter, and seasonal colour to Armada Way. All this in time for the countdown of the big reveal! The first section of the Armada Way regeneration scheme opens on Thursday 31 July!
The first zone around the Phoenix Fountain – which includes the brand-new amphitheatre and performance space – will be ready to welcome you. Expect pop-up events, live music, and plenty of reasons to stop and enjoy the space.
It’s a tree-rific time to be in Plymouth!
Planting trees in the summer
We know that there are a lot of questions as to why we’re planting trees in Armada Way this summer.
We know summer isn’t the ideal time to plant trees – normally, it’s better to do it in the cooler, dormant months. But because Armada Way is such a complex and busy part of the city, we’ve had to carefully plan the work to avoid too much disruption for residents, businesses and everyone who uses the city centre. That means some of the tree planting is happening now, during the growing season.
We’re not taking any chances though. Our team has worked closely with tree experts, nurseries and contractors to make sure the trees have the best possible chance to thrive. Here’s what we’re doing:
- Quick turnaround: Trees are being planted as soon as they arrive, so they’re not left out of the ground for long.
- Top-quality trees: We’ve chosen strong, healthy trees from trusted nurseries that are used to growing for urban environments.
- Specialist planting team: The people planting the trees are experienced and using the right tools and techniques.
- Container-grown trees: Where we can, we’re using trees that have been grown in containers, which makes them more adaptable to being planted in summer.
- Better soil: We’ve used specially engineered soil that holds moisture and nutrients, and we’ve made sure the roots have plenty of space to grow.
- Boosting root health: We’ve added natural fungi to the soil to help the roots absorb water and nutrients more easily.
- Smart watering: A built-in irrigation system is in place to keep the trees well-watered, and we’re also using misting during heatwaves.
- Mulch magic: A layer of mulch around each tree helps keep the soil moist and stops weeds from taking over.
- Regular checks: Our team is keeping a close eye on the planting to make sure everything’s done properly and the trees are settling in well.
We’re also being realistic. Even with all these measures, planting trees in a city centre during summer is tough – especially with the kind of heatwaves we’ve had this year.
That’s why we’ve got a two-year aftercare plan in place. If any trees don’t make it, they’ll be replaced.
This is all part of making Armada Way greener, more welcoming and better for the future. Thanks for bearing with us while we get it done.