Launch of 27 Container Trees at Cashew Road - New Approach in Tree Planting Reduces Number of Trees Affected by Development

The containers can be embedded in the regular tree planting verge along new roads, and then relocated with relative ease when these roads are developed. This is because the containers minimise the negative impact on mature trees that tend to occur in moving them. These container trees can then continue to grow in their new location.

The luxuriant greenery that Singapore enjoys today started some fifty years ago. Many of the trees planted back in the '60s have become majestic, mature specimens, contributing to Singapore's vision of becoming a City in a Garden. As Singapore continues to develop, NParks recognises the need to reduce the number of mature trees affected by road widening and diversion projects.

To develop a solution, NParks' Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE) embarked on a 3-year project. Dr Genevieve Ow, Researcher at CUGE, elaborated on the benefits of container trees, "The containers are durable and allow ease of movement. Container trees also do not need additional maintenance over and above the current requirements for roadside trees."

The selected stretch of road for the pilot implementation of container trees is along Cashew Road. This road was constructed last year to divert traffic while the Downtown line is being built.

Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and MP for the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, launched the pilot batch of 27 container trees at a street party for Cashew residents organised by the Cashew Neighbourhood Committee. About 100 residents attended the street party.

The container trees will remain at their current location for about four to five years. After the completion of the Downtown line, they will be moved to the nearby Upper Bukit Timah Road to provide shade and greenery.