Greenwood Plants is ready to deliver first phase of National Highways’ Three Million Trees project.

Greenwood is preparing for the first delivery of the Three Million Trees project with National Highways in the forthcoming 2024/2025 season. Representatives from the government agency visited Greenwood’s nurseries on 19th June to inspect the first batch of native trees grown from seed and discuss its plans for planting as part of hand-selected community interest projects across the UK.  

The project was first announced in June 2023, with Greenwood committing to grow three million UK native trees from seed in peat-free media, to be planted as part of National Highways’ far-reaching community planting projects.  

Representatives from National Highways, including Director of Environmental Sustainability Stephen Elderkin, Category Management Group Lead Jane Fox, and Procurement Delivery Lead David Green, visited Greenwood Plants on Wednesday 19th June, a year on from the project’s first public announcement, to tour the southern nursery sites, inspect the first phase of trees, and discuss plans for planting. 

Greenwood Group Managing Director Melanie Asker said “Greenwood is a sustainability-led nursery, and we are delighted to be working with National Highways on a project that serves to enhance community environments across the UK. We believe that every plant matters and feel the Three Million Trees initiative sets a brilliant precedent for social participation whilst contributing towards the UK’s net-zero ambitions.” 

The tree whips are being cultivated from seed, and in 100% peat-free growing media, to minimise the carbon impact of the project. The native species being grown include holly, Scots pine, oak, rowan and beech, and will help to positively contribute to biodiversity across the country. 

“It was great to come back a year on from my first visit to see over a million saplings now growing, which is more than a third of our target of 3 million. It was fantastic to see the love and care with which Greenwood have cultivated these trees, of course without the use of peat” said Director Stephen Elderkin. 

Sustainability is one of Greenwood’s central values, and it is committed to continually exploring new ways of growing greener and moving towards its long-term goal of being Net-Zero. The company has already completely eradicated the use of peat across its entire UK operation, as well as being 90% water self-sufficient, and has invested in sustainable technologies such as electric utility vehicles. 

To find out more about Greenwood’s sustainability journey, click here: https://greenwoodplants.co.uk/sustainability/