Council tree planting schemes need help with maintenance costs says The Woodland Trust after reports of the loss of many trees planted in recent years.
The Government pledged more than £9 million last year to plant hundreds of thousands of trees across England.
But figures obtained by a national newspaper showed that dozens of councils do not keep records of tree planting success stories while others report that survival rates are lower than expected.
The Woodland Trust, which provides funding for council tree-planting schemes, called for long-term investment to back up government grants.
Andy Egan from the charity said: ‘Many councils lack the additional resources and capacity to look after newly-planted trees to help them survive conditions like the drought we had last summer.’
The Woodland Trust wants the Government to use its Environmental Improvement Plan to help protect and care for trees which can be subject to vandalism as well as difficult weather conditions.
Under the plan, the government would file an annual report on improvements to the natural environment which campaigners hope will mean better record-keeping.
