Form

SSG eligible species and activities

Updated 24 April 2025

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

Use this list of eligible species and activities when applying for the Seed Sourcing Grant (SSG).

Go back to the SSG application form page.

This list details which species and associated activities are eligible for funding. The eligible activities are outlined with minimum requirements, recommendations and examples.

1. and 2. Management of seed stands or orchards and identification of seed stands

Activity 1: Management of seed stands and seed orchards - to improve seed production and/or facilitate seed collection.

Activity 2: Desk and field studies - to identify and bring additional seed stands onto the Register of UK Basic Material.

A seed stand is a group of trees that has been identified or set aside specifically as a seed source. To be registered on the Register of UK Basic Material, Source-Identified seed stands should typically comprise at least 30 trees of the species for a monoecious species (both sexes per tree) or 60 trees for a dioecious species (separate male and female trees). Selected seed stands should typically comprise at least 100 trees of the species (see Appendix 3 of Forest Reproductive Materials guidance). These are minimum requirements for registration.

The evaluation panel will favour applications for stands with a greater number of individuals as these will deliver greater seed production and comprise more genetic diversity.

Proposals can involve the assessment, appropriate registration and/or management of existing provenance trials as seed stands or orchards.

For native or naturalised species, SSG will only support identification and management of Indigenous Source-Identified (Appendix 4 of Forest Reproductive Materials guidance), Selected or Tested seed stands, or management of seed orchards.

For non-native species, the SSG will support the identification and management of Source-Identified, Selected or Tested seed stands, or management of seed orchards.

Refer to the list of eligible native and non-native species for these eligible activities.

Eligible seed stand or orchard management activities include but are not limited to:

• understory management
• protection
• access and ride management
• thinning and selective felling
• pruning

Seed stands and orchards must either already be registered on the Register of UK Basic Material or should be registered on the Register of UK Basic Material as part of the proposed project.

Eligible desk or field studies activities include but are not limited to:

• researching potential sites
• visiting and surveying sites

3. Planning and planting of new seed stands

Activity 3: Planning and planting of new seed stands - including their registration on the Register of UK Basic Material.

A seed stand is a group of trees that has been identified or set aside specifically as a seed source. To be registered on the Register of UK Basic Material, Source-Identified seed stands should typically comprise at least 30 trees of the species for a monoecious species (both sexes per tree) or 60 trees for a dioecious species (separate male and female trees). These are minimum requirements for registration.

The evaluation panel will favour applications which follow the recommendations below to maximise genetic diversity. It is recommended that more seedlings are raised than are required in order to ensure all parent trees are represented in the final seed stand. Also, initial plantings may be at higher densities to maximise the early volume of seed produced, but as plants grow they may be thinned to allow the more productive plants space to mature.

For native or naturalised species, the source material should be drawn from across the range or across a large geographic area in order to deliver genetically diverse, regional seed stands. Seed stands should be planted using source material from sites which can be assumed to have regenerated naturally since the existing woodland on the site became established, avoiding recently introduced and hybrid populations. Ideally projects should source material from at least 10 different suitable populations and 20 mother trees per population. 

For non-native species, seed used to create seed stands should be of known provenance/origin suitable for the planting site. Care should be taken to match the elevation of the provenance with the elevation of the planting site and consideration should be given for differences in performance of provenances in East and West England. Preference should be given to UK-adapted material. The source material should be genetically diverse i.e. collected from at least 50 to 100 mother trees. Seed stands for these species should be at least 1 hectare at normal forestry stocking density to allow for potential future plus tree selection.

Refer to the list of eligible native and non-native species for these eligible activities.

Eligible activities include but are not limited to:

• researching appropriate source material
• collection or other sourcing of source material
• propagation of source material
• preparation of planting site and planting out saplings

If the planting of your seed stand occurs during the funding period, you will need to register it on the Register of UK Basic Materials before making your final claim.

4. Planning and planting of new seed orchards

Activity 4: Planning and planting of new seed orchards - including their registration on the Register of UK Basic Material.

Seed orchards are areas where superior phenotypes or genotypes are established and managed intensively and entirely for seed production (see Appendix 5 of Forest Reproductive Materials guidance).

There are 2 approaches to creating seed orchards:

• seedling seed orchards comprising seedling progeny of plus trees which can later be thinned to the best progeny based on evaluation data
• clonal seed orchards comprising genetically identical clonal representatives or ramets created by vegetative propagation.

Development of seed orchards is a significant and lengthy process involving the development of improved material. SSG will fund projects that contribute towards the development of seed orchards.

When developing your proposal, you should refer to appropriate guidance such as the EUFORGEN handbook and Forestry Commission Bulletin 54. We will expect proposals to refer to this, or similar guidance and to show how proposed activities take into account species biology and rarity, the need to maintain genetic diversity while delivering genetic gain, and the purpose of the orchard.

Eligible activities include but are not limited to:

• researching appropriate sites for collecting source material
• collection of source material
• propagation of source material
• preparation of planting site and planting out saplings

If the planting of your seed orchard occurs during the funding period, you will need to register it on the Register of UK Basic Materials before making your final claim.

Non-native species list

Use this table to find out which non-native species is eligible for each activity.

Eligible species	1. Management of seed stands or orchards	2. Identification of seed stands	3. Planting new seed stands	4. Planting new seed orchards
Atlantic cedar (Cedrus atlantica)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Corsican pine in UK (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Douglas fir  (Pseudotsuga menziesii)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Grand fir (Abies grandis)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Grey alder   (Alnus incana)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Lawson’s cypress  (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Macedonian pine   (Pinus peuce)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Norway maple (Acer platanoides)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Norway spruce (Picea abies)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Omorika spruce (Picea omorika)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Red oak (Quercus rubra)	Yes	No	No	No
Western hemlock   (Tsuga heterophylla)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Western red cedar (Thuja plicata)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes

Native or naturalised species list

Use this table to find out which native or naturalised species is eligible for each activity.

Eligible species	1. Management of seed stands or orchards	2. Identification of seed stands	3. Planting new seed stands	4. Planting new seed orchards
Aspen (Populus tremula)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Beech  (Fagus sylvatica)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bird cherry  (Prunus padus)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Blackthorn   (Prunus spinosa)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Elder  (Sambucus nigra)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Field maple  (Acer campestre)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus)	Yes	No	No	No
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Hazel  (Corylus avellana)	Yes	No	Yes	No
Holly  (Ilex aquifolium)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Juniper (Juniperus communis)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Pedunculate oak   (Quercus robur)	Yes	No	No	Yes
Rowan  (Sorbus aucuparia)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Service tree (Sorbus torminalis)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sessile oak  (Quercus petraea)	Yes	No	No	Yes
Small leaved lime (Tilia cordata)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Spindle (Euonymus europaeus)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Wild apple  (Malus sylvestris)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wild cherry  (Prunus avium)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Wild privet  (Ligustrum vulgare)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Wych elm (Ulmus glabra)	No	No	No	Yes
Yew (Taxus baccata)	Yes	Yes	No	No