A year in the life of a London plane

Among our most enthusiastic Urban Tree Watchers, Kate from Merton kindly sent in her observations throughout the year, painting a picture of the life cycle of a nearby London plane from winter through to autumn.

In her first submission, Kate described the tree’s fuzzy seed balls, a key characteristic of the species. These typically cling on until the end of winter before falling to the ground to disperse their seeds. The song of robins, blue tits, and wood pigeons left her feeling ‘joyous’.

Kate returned in spring to find the tree in leaf, with elderflower growing at its base and a family of rooks nesting in its branches.

By August, the tree’s bark had started to flake off, and its leaves had just started changing colour. In early November, the tree had lost a fair amount of its lower leaves, and green moss covered its base. The remaining leaves were shades of brown and yellow.

As the year went on, visiting the tree became a sort of ritual for Kate, giving her a real sense of calm and the chance to appreciate her local area.

Remembering loved ones through trees

Many submissions we received came from Trees for Streets sponsors. Gule from Ealing had his Celebration Tree — a symbolic cherry blossom — planted on 24th February 2025 after the passing of his brother a year earlier. ‘It was my late brother’s favourite spot,’ Gule told us. ‘I feel he is near me,’ said Gule after visiting the tree in April.

Others found solace in returning to trees they’d planted as tributes to their husbands, wives, and pets. Having a tree planted for a loved one can be a lasting way to honour their memory, and at the same time, provide a space for new life to thrive.

The power of urban trees

Across more than 150 responses, the overarching theme was positive emotional connection, with participants feeling ‘content’, ‘hopeful’, ‘safe’, ‘grounded’, and ‘in touch with the seasons’.

What also stood out was the impact the Urban Tree Watch had on participants' mental health and general wellbeing. Many took great pride in monitoring the growth of a tree they'd planted themselves, or simply enjoyed the opportunity to slow down and spend a few quiet moments with a local tree on a regular basis.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part — by helping us gather robust evidence, you contribute directly to how we evaluate and improve our work, ensuring that our tree-planting initiatives are as effective as possible.