What's the purpose of having so many roadside trees in Singapore? | Tell Me More

Summary

This video takes viewers behind the scenes of Singapore's urban landscaping, highlighting the process of selecting, planting, and maintaining trees along the city's roadsides. From the careful choice of trees based on aesthetic, screening, and environmental needs to the steps of planting and nurturing them, the National Parks Board ensures that over 14,000 trees are planted each year. The video emphasizes the importance of hardy, drought-tolerant species to withstand Singapore's climate, showcasing the dedication to creating a greener, more sustainable cityscape.

Takeaways

• 🌳 Trees along Singapore's roadsides are carefully planted with different objectives such as aesthetics or screening purposes.
• 🛠️ For screening, trees are planted closely together (about 2 meters apart) to hide unwanted views and soften the urban landscape.
• 🌸 Aesthetic planting focuses on trees with attractive flowers or colorful foliage.
• 🌲 Screening trees are chosen for their ability to grow tall and maintain their lower branches for coverage.
• 🍃 An example of an aesthetically pleasing tree is the legacy of a foible diary, which offers beauty and visual interest.
• 🌿 The Handkerchief tree (Engelhardia) is named for its drooping, handkerchief-like leaves.
• 🌱 The National Parks Board maintains its own nursery to propagate and nurture trees from seed, ensuring they are ready for planting at a suitable size (3 to 4 meters).
• 🚚 Once trees are selected, they are transported on lorries with cranes and carefully placed at designated sites.
• 🌍 For planting, a 1x1 meter hole is prepared, and the tree is secured with a steel pipe stake to ensure stability.
• 💧 Wood chips are applied to retain moisture in the soil and suppress weak growth after planting.
• 🌞 During the 'establishment period' (eight weeks after planting), maintenance efforts are focused on ensuring tree health and root development.
• 💪 Hardy and drought-tolerant species, like the material obovata, are selected to withstand periods of dry weather, especially during dry spells from February to May.

Q & A

What factors are considered when selecting trees for roadside planting in Singapore?

When selecting trees for roadside planting, factors such as aesthetics, screening, and providing shade are considered. For aesthetic purposes, trees with attractive flowers or colorful foliage are preferred. For screening, trees with large crowns and dense foliage are chosen to block undesired views.

What is the purpose of screening trees, and how are they arranged?

Screening trees are planted closely together, usually about two meters apart, to block views of unwanted objects and reduce the harshness of the urban landscape.

What characteristics are sought in trees planted for aesthetic purposes?

Trees for aesthetic purposes are chosen based on their ability to produce attractive flowers or colorful foliage, enhancing the visual appeal of the area.

How do trees for screening differ from those chosen for aesthetics?

Trees for screening need to grow tall and maintain their lower branches, providing dense foliage to effectively block out objects. In contrast, aesthetic trees focus on visual appeal through flowers or colorful leaves.

Can you provide an example of a tree with both aesthetic and screening benefits?

The 'Handkerchief Tree' (English name), which has distinctive, drooping, handkerchief-like flowers, offers both aesthetic appeal and can also be used for screening in certain contexts.

How does the National Parks Board (NParks) propagate trees for planting?

NParks collects seeds, propagates them in a nursery, and nurtures them to a suitable size (typically 3 to 4 meters) before delivering them to planting sites.

What is the process of planting trees along Singapore’s streets?

After selecting the trees, they are loaded onto a lorry crane for transportation to the planting site. The planting hole is prepared to be about one meter by one meter, and the tree is placed in the hole. Steel pipes are used for support, and PVC caps are applied to protect the tree from damage during maintenance activities.

What are wood chips used for when planting trees?

Wood chips are applied around the base of newly planted trees to retain moisture in the soil and suppress weed growth, helping the tree establish itself more effectively.

What is the 'establishment period' for newly planted trees?

The establishment period is the first eight weeks after planting, during which the tree needs extra care to ensure it adapts well to its new environment and develops its root system.

What tree species are preferred for their drought tolerance in Singapore?

Drought-tolerant species like the 'Material Obovata' and 'Anika' are favored due to their ability to withstand dry spells, ensuring that the trees remain healthy during periods of low rainfall.