trees – Lee Manor Society

By Charles Batchelor

More than a dozen households have responded to the Society’s proposal to match-fund the planting of trees in Southbrook Road. We have set aside funds to spend on the planting and invited residents to provide a similar amount.

The death of several of the aged cherries has left Southbrook Road particularly denuded of tree cover though the Society plans to roll out the programme to other local streets in future years.

Much of the £395 charge per tree is accounted for by labour costs, digging up the pavement to create a tree pit. Working with Street Trees for Living, the charity managing Lewisham’s street tree programme, we have surveyed potential planting sites.

Some residents have expressed an interest in trees offering either spring blossom or autumn colour. A final decision has yet to be taken on the varieties to be planted but they will comprise a small number of tree types rather than a single variety. This will make the trees less liable to succumb en masse to any of the many viruses that can affect them. Planting will take place in the winter of 2025.

Update: Another tree in Micheldever Road is infected with Bracket Fungus.

The Honey Fungus which has infected several of the lime trees in Micheldever Road, and elsewhere in the Conservation Area, is a symptom of a timing problem which will affect street trees throughout London. That’s the verdict of Paul Wood, the aptly-named the author of London’s Street Trees, who spoke at the Lee Manor Society Annual General Meeting.

Paul Wood speaking to the Lee Manor Society AGM

“We are reaching that time when a lot of trees that were planted in the Victorian and Edwardian periods are reaching the end of their lives,” he said.

Mt Wood was asked what strategy he would recommend for replacing the trees, as they are likely to continue disappearing over the next decade.

“I love consistent avenues of trees. It kind of makes something look really grand,” said Mr Wood. “But what happens in the future is that they all tend to die at the same time because they’re the same age, and particularly if they’re clonally identical, which often street trees are because they’ll be produced by grafting. So, they will be totally identical. They will all pretty much succumb at the same time.

“Maybe a way to think about it would be to have two different trees, which would allow the avenue to mature, and, if one species succumbs, the other species doesn’t.”

The remains of a lime tree which was infected with honey fungus

Mr Wood believes much more needs to be done to protect urban trees. “I feel like Natural England should be providing a register, like the buildings heritage register, and maintaining a list of trees which have great value to the townscape,” he told the meeting.

Mr Wood’s talk covered street trees all over the capital, including Mulberry trees in Lewisham which he said were originally planted in schools for the children to dance around.

Tag: trees

Replacing the dead trees in Southbrook Road

Time May Be Up For Our Avenues