Tree-mendous effort sees over 700 saplings planted across Exeter

Exeter’s canopy is getting a little greener this spring, as the City Council wraps up another successful tree planting season.

A total of 94 new trees have been planted across the city by Exeter City Council, with a further 700 native species whips added in partnership with ParkLife South West. The combined effort forms part of an ongoing push to boost biodiversity and tackle climate change.

The newly planted trees span 56 different locations and include 22 diverse species such as flowering cherry, magnolia, maple, hawthorn, birch, rowan, whitebeam, apple, crab apple and flowering dogwood.

The whips – young, slender saplings – were used to create new woodland pockets and reinstate hedgerows in two small areas of the city, further enhancing Exeter’s green corridors.

It’s not just about aesthetics. According to the council, the 94 larger trees alone are expected to store an estimated 231,973kg of carbon dioxide over their lifetime – the equivalent of more than 230 tonnes being removed from the atmosphere.

The project aligns with the Council’s wider Net Zero 2030 ambitions and long-term commitment to improving Exeter’s green infrastructure.

More tree planting is expected to resume when the next season begins in late autumn.