National Tree Week: Choosing the right tree for your garden and your home
National Tree Week, organised by The Tree Council and running from 21 to 29 November 2026, marks the start of the annual tree planting season in the UK. The timing is not accidental. Late November through to March is when deciduous trees are dormant, which is the ideal window to plant bare-root stock. The roots establish through winter and the tree enters spring already in the ground, giving it the best possible start. If you have been thinking about adding a tree to your garden, this is the moment to act on it.
Choosing the right tree for the right place is where the real thought goes. A well-chosen tree adds genuine value to a property, visually and practically, for decades. A poorly chosen one creates problems that are disproportionate to the original decision. Here is how to approach it.
Start with the mature size, not the sapling
The most common tree-planting mistake in domestic gardens is choosing a tree for what it looks like as a sapling rather than what it will become at maturity. A small, appealing tree at a garden centre may be a species that reaches fifteen metres at full growth, at which point it dominates a small garden, blocks light from the house, and sheds a volume of leaves that overwhelms the gutters every autumn.
Ornamental trees that suit smaller and medium-sized gardens include crab apple, rowan, hawthorn, amelanchier, and ornamental cherry. These typically reach four to eight metres at maturity and are manageable in most residential settings. They also provide excellent wildlife value, with blossom for pollinators and berries for birds through winter. Holly makes a beautiful structural evergreen that is slow-growing and can be managed through pruning over many years.
Larger species such as oak, beech, copper beech, ash, and lime are magnificent trees that need space commensurate with their eventual scale. In the right garden, they are a wonderful long-term investment. In a small urban garden or close to a building, they are a source of future difficulty.
What the subsidence data tells property owners
The ABI’s property claims data for Q1 2026 recorded an average subsidence claim of £17,820, up 9% on the same period the previous year. Subsidence claims are more likely in prolonged dry periods when clay soils contract, and tree roots exacerbate this by drawing moisture from the soil. The species most associated with subsidence in proximity to buildings are those with the most extensive and moisture-hungry root systems: willows, poplars, and to a lesser extent large oaks on clay.
The practical guidance for planting near a property is to match the safe planting distance to the expected mature height of the tree. As a starting principle, a tree should be planted no closer to a building than its expected mature height allows room for. On clay soils, for water-hungry species, that distance extends further. Trees near existing drainage runs should also be considered carefully, as roots can infiltrate and block drains over time, regardless of species.
None of this means avoiding trees near houses. Smaller ornamental trees planted at an appropriate distance from the building carry a very different risk profile from a willow at the edge of the lawn ten metres from the foundations. The principle is right tree, right place.
The front garden and kerb appeal
A well-chosen tree in the front garden, or in a front boundary, adds genuine visual character to a property. A small ornamental tree in a front garden, well positioned so it does not obscure the house or overwhelm the space, creates a mature, well-cared-for impression that a property without planting rarely achieves.
Consider the view from the main windows of the property as well as from the street. A tree that frames the view outward from the sitting room is an asset. One that blocks light from a south-facing window in winter is a different matter. Think about leaf fall in relation to gutters and paths, and about whether the tree will need management as it matures, particularly at the front of the property where pavement and neighbouring boundaries are close.
The planting itself
Bare-root trees, available through the planting season from November to March, are less expensive than container-grown stock and establish well. They are planted without a pot, which means the roots go directly into the ground and begin establishing immediately. Staking in the first year or two protects young trees from wind rock while the root system grows. Mulching around the base retains moisture and suppresses weeds. The Tree Council’s website provides guidance on planting technique and local events throughout National Tree Week where community planting is taking place.
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