The Best Trees for Car Parks

Selecting the right trees for car parks requires careful consideration. Trees must be practical, robust, and visually appealing, all while thriving in urban environments that often present challenges such as pollution, compacted soil, and limited space. In addition to these practical factors, trees in car parks offer significant environmental and social benefits. They enhance air quality by filtering pollutants, provide cooling effects that reduce the urban heat island effect, and create a more pleasant and welcoming environment for visitors.

Here, we explore the best trees for car parks, highlighting their unique qualities and benefits for these demanding locations.

What to Consider When Choosing Trees for Car Parks

Car parks are unique spaces with specific requirements that make tree selection a crucial aspect of their design. Here are some of the important factors to consider when choosing the trees:

1. Space Constraints: Trees with compact or upright growth habits are ideal to avoid interference with parking spaces, vehicles, and pedestrian pathways.
2. Pollution Tolerance: Car parks often experience high levels of vehicle emissions; therefore, trees must be resilient to poor air quality.
3. Root Systems: Selecting trees with non-invasive root systems is essential to prevent damage to tarmac, paving, and underground utilities in the area.
4. Shade Provision: Trees that provide dense shade help reduce heat buildup in summer months, making car parks more comfortable for users.
5. Low Maintenance: Trees with minimal pruning and upkeep requirements are cost-effective choices for commercial and public spaces.
6. Sustainability: Incorporating native or resilient species supports biodiversity, improves air quality, and enhances overall sustainability.
7. Proper Establishment: One of the biggest challenges in car parks is tree establishment. Too often, trees struggle or fail due to poor tree pit construction, leading to soil compaction around the roots, or inadequate irrigation. Every tree in a car park should be installed with a perforated irrigation pipe around the top of the root ball or container, accompanied by a structured maintenance programme for at least the first two years.

By keeping these factors in mind, it is possible to create greener, more functional car parks that are beneficial for both the environment and users. Incorporating well-chosen trees can enhance sustainability by improving air quality, mitigating the urban heat island effect, and supporting local biodiversity. Additionally, selecting low-maintenance species can reduce long-term costs for car park operators, making these investments both environmentally and economically sound.

1. Acer campestre ‘Streetwise’

Acer campestre ‘Streetwise’, a cultivar of the Field Maple, is a reliable choice for car parks. It has been carefully selected for urban landscapes by Hillier. Its compact and upright growth habit makes it perfect for areas with limited space, while its tolerance to pollution ensures it thrives in high-traffic environments.

Key Features:

• Compact Growth Habit: Its upright form prevents overhanging branches from encroaching into parking spaces, maintaining functionality.
• Pollution Tolerance: A robust performer in areas with reduced air quality due to vehicle emissions.
• Low Maintenance: Minimal pruning is required, making it a cost-effective option for commercial and public spaces.

Acer campestre ‘Streetwise’ contributes to biodiversity by supporting pollinators such as bees with its subtle, yellow-green spring flowers. Additionally, its ability to tolerate urban stressors makes it an environmentally friendly choice for car parks.

2. Acer freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’

Acer freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’ is a striking tree that offers year-round visual appeal, making it an excellent choice for car parks where both beauty and functionality are important. This hybrid maple is known for its vigorous growth, resilience, and spectacular autumn colour.

Key Features:

• Ornamental Appeal: The emerald green leaves with silver undersides turn into a brilliant display of gold, ruby, and plum in autumn, creating a vibrant seasonal feature.
• Pollution Tolerance: Thrives in urban environments, withstanding air pollution and compacted soil.
• Fast Growing: Establishes quickly, making it a great option for providing shade in a shorter timeframe.

Acer freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’ not only enhances car parks visually but also contributes to improved air quality and biodiversity, supporting a healthier urban landscape.

3. Carpinus betulus ‘Lucas’

Carpinus betulus ‘Lucas’, a selection of Hornbeam, is prized for its slender and upright form. Its neat structure and adaptability make it ideal for lining car park rows where space is at a premium.

Key Features:

• Narrow Form: Its compact canopy fits seamlessly into tight spaces, such as between parking bays, without compromising shade coverage.
• Tough and Adaptable: Thrives in compacted soil and endures urban stressors, including drought and pollution.
• Long-lived: A durable and reliable tree, making it a smart investment for long-term landscaping projects.

Hornbeams are known for their dense foliage, which improves air quality by trapping particulates and absorbing carbon dioxide. Carpinus betulus ‘Lucas’ is a long-term solution that reduces the urban heat island effect and enhances green infrastructure.

4. Prunus ‘Sunset Boulevard’

Prunus ‘Sunset Boulevard’ is a refined ornamental cherry tree with a distinctive narrow, vase-shaped form. Its controlled growth habit makes it ideal for tighter spaces in car parks where spreading trees may not be suitable.

Key Features:

• Compact Growth: Maintains a tight 3m width, ensuring it fits well between parking bays and walkways without encroaching on space.
• Seasonal Interest: Single white flowers, delicately tinged with pink, bloom in spring, creating an elegant display.
• Enhanced Visual Impact: Planting in pairs increases their aesthetic value, making car parks more attractive.

Prunus ‘Sunset Boulevard’ brings a refined, structured look to car parks while offering seasonal charm. Its ability to remain narrow ensures it integrates well into urban spaces without causing obstructions.

5. Sorbus aria ‘Majestica’

Sorbus aria ‘Majestica’ combines beauty and practicality, making it a standout tree for car parks. Its broad canopy and silvery-green leaves add visual appeal while offering functional benefits.

Key Features:

• Dense Canopy: Provides ample shade, reducing the heat build-up commonly experienced in car parks during summer.
• Low Fruit Drop: Produces small, manageable berries that minimise mess and maintenance concerns.
• Tolerant of Poor Soil: Thrives in challenging conditions, including dry, alkaline, and compacted soils.

Sorbus aria ‘Majestica’ supports local wildlife by providing a habitat for birds and insects. Its ability to thrive in poor soil conditions makes it an excellent candidate for improving degraded urban land.

6. Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’

Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’, a cultivar of the small-leaved lime, is a popular tree for urban landscapes. Its symmetrical, pyramidal form and resilience make it ideal for car parks.

Key Features:

• Uniform Shape: Its tidy, pyramidal structure enhances the visual appeal of car parks and aligns neatly with parking bays.
• Deep Shade: Offers excellent shade coverage, reducing heat and glare from parked cars during summer months.
• Resilient: Withstands pollution, compacted soil, and other urban stressors, ensuring long-term performance.

The small-leaved lime is a valuable tree for pollinators, producing nectar-rich flowers that attract bees and other insects. Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’ also helps to mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon and reducing surface temperatures in urban environments.

7. Ulmus ‘New Horizon’

Ulmus ‘New Horizon’, a hybrid elm, is a top choice for car parks thanks to its exceptional resilience and low-maintenance requirements. This hardy tree is well-suited to challenging urban environments, thriving in areas with high levels of pollution and exposure to de-icing salts.

Key Features:

• Pollution Tolerance: Performs exceptionally well in environments with high levels of air pollution and de-icing salts, common in car parks.
• Disease Resistance: Highly resistant to Dutch Elm Disease, ensuring longevity and reliability.
• Low Maintenance: Its sturdy structure and upright form reduce the need for regular pruning and upkeep.

As a disease-resistant elm, Ulmus ‘New Horizon’ plays an important role in the reintroduction of elm trees to urban areas. Its ability to withstand environmental stressors while supporting biodiversity makes it a sustainable and forward-thinking choice for car park design.

The Role of Trees in Sustainable Car Park Design

Incorporating trees into car parks offers numerous environmental and social benefits, such as:

• Improved Air Quality: Trees absorb pollutants and release oxygen, enhancing the air quality in urban areas. For instance, a mature tree can sequester approximately 25 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of urban spaces.
• Urban Cooling: Dense canopies reduce heat buildup, making car parks cooler and more comfortable.
• Stormwater Management: Tree roots and soil help absorb rainfall, reducing runoff and mitigating flooding risks.
• Aesthetic Appeal: Greenery transforms car parks into more inviting and attractive spaces.

By carefully selecting resilient, low-maintenance species, car parks can become greener and more sustainable while improving the user experience.

Choosing the Right Tree for Your Car Park

When selecting trees for car parks, it is crucial to consider factors such as growth habit, pollution tolerance, shade provision, and maintenance requirements. The trees outlined above have been carefully selected for their ability to thrive in challenging urban environments, providing functional and aesthetic benefits for car park landscapes.

By incorporating trees like Acer campestre ‘Streetwise’, Carpinus betulus ‘Lucas’, Sorbus aria ‘Majestica’, Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’, and Ulmus ‘New Horizon’, car parks can become greener, more pleasant spaces that contribute positively to the environment and user experience.