The average Metro Vancouver tree lives less than eight years, a startling statistic from prominent B.C. horticulturalist Brian Minter that underscores the deadly threat of the region's unusually early and severe watering restrictions. Minter considers the metropolis's relatively few older trees as rare and precious "gold," given that so many young trees die from dehydration before reaching their tween years.
Early Stage 3 Restrictions Ban Essential Tree Watering
Metro Vancouver introduced Stage 3 watering restrictions earlier than ever on June 8, banning all sprinklers and soaker hoses for trees, shrubs, and flowers. The restrictions also prohibit lawn watering. Bill Manning, retired director of horticulture for Vancouver parks, worries that many residents and even city staff will fail to properly water trees, especially young ones. "The watering restrictions do affect the trees," said Manning. Immature trees need more than superficial watering: "They need slow, extensive watering to promote deep roots."
Tree Canopy Loss and Restoration Goals
Metro Vancouver lost one per cent of its tree canopy between 2014 and 2020, according to a regional district study. Restoring what was lost requires planting enough trees to cover about 19 square kilometres. Municipal officials often tout trees as vital for birds, insects, and as a bulwark against global warming, yet the region's young trees continue to die at alarming rates.
Citizen Activism to Protect Mature Trees
In the Vancouver neighbourhood of Kitsilano, neighbours are urging city officials to stop the chainsawing of a horse chestnut tree more than 100 years old on a private lot. They describe it as a "heritage-scale tree that provides shade, climate resilience and documented habitat for a Cooper's Hawk. Removing it works directly against the city's own urban forest strategy goal of 30 per cent canopy cover by 2050." Less than three blocks away, a newly revitalized green space with West Coast trees, plants, and wild flowers cost more than $3 million, with signs extolling the virtues of reintroducing trees and plants for habitat and cooling.
Experts Call for Exemptions and Public Education
Horticulturalists urge politicians to communicate that trees need deep watering even during restrictions. The current Stage 3 rules strictly prohibit all sprinkler and soaker hose use for trees, shrubs, and flowers, leaving many residents uncertain how to keep their trees alive. Manning and others advocate for allowing deep watering methods, such as slow-drip irrigation or hand watering, to ensure young trees develop deep root systems and survive drought-like summers.
