The Friends of Twickenham Green held a special tree-planting ceremony this morning (Friday 1 December).

During National Tree Week, they are planting five new Indian Horse Chestnut saplings on Twickenham Green.

The Indian Horse Chesnut has been selected as a replacement for the Common Horse Chesnut which currently line the green.

Unfortunately, the changing environment has brought about multiple threats and challenges for the common horse chestnut, including horse chestnut leaf miner, horse chestnut bleeding canker and climate change-associated factors such as temperature extremes and drought. 

Friends of Twickenham Green said: "We are seeing an increasing number of declining chestnuts, especially where a combination of factors are at play which acts as a major tipping point for individual trees where they are simply overwhelmed and can no longer sustain themselves as a viable system. 

"These challenges make establishing common horse chestnut very difficult, with many succumbing to bleeding canker and dying within a 5-15 year period. 

They added: "Indian horse chestnut is less susceptible to the pest and disease that is currently afflicting common horse chestnut and is therefore more likely to establish and continue the tradition of 'conker trees' on the green, with similar characteristics, such as spring flower chandeliers, value to wildlife (especially bees), conkers (albeit slightly smaller and with spike less husks) and a similar leaf shape and pattern."

The first sapling was planted by Bernedette from Shepperton Design Studios, who is a member of the Friends of Twickenham Green.