Stockholm System Tree Pit Solutions

Healthier Trees. Healthier People

Urban trees often struggle to thrive—especially when planted in hard landscaped areas.

Without enough rootable soil and consistent access to water, they can fail to reach maturity, offering only a fraction of their environmental and visual benefits.

The Stockholm System provides a proven, long-term solution.

Used by landscape architects, engineers, and contractors across the UK, it enables trees in paved and trafficked areas to grow stronger, live longer, and perform better for the communities they serve.

Stockholm System Tree Pit Solutions

Benefits

  • More soil volume – Faster growth, healthier trees, longer lifespan.
  • Better watering – Rainwater from roofs, roads, and paving diverted into the tree pit.
  • Improved drainage – Supports Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).
  • Low maintenance – Once mature, trees require minimal upkeep.
  • Reducing flooding – Flood water has somewhere to go, rather than pooling on the surface.

This approach has been proven in Stockholm’s city-wide tree planting programme, producing exceptional tree health and longevity.

Stockholm Tree Pits

Stockholm Tree Pits
Product code View PDF Width (mm) Length (mm) Height (mm)
STP02
View PDF
 1000 1000 700
STP01
View PDF
 1200 1200 700

The Modal Filter Planter

The Modal Filter Planter
Product code View PDF Width (mm) Length (mm) Height (mm)
STP04
View PDF
 990 1225 750

A low-cost and low-maintenance cuboid concrete block (990mm x 1225mm x 770mm) that has been specially designed for use as temporary ‘green’ modal filters to open streets for pedestrians and cyclists by closing them to through traffic.

It incorporates two large planting recesses with sloping sides that funnel rainwater into Permavoid reservoirs embedded beneath the soil. In this way the design makes use of natural rainfall to irrigate the plants, and it stores rainwater in the reservoirs to carry the plants through dry periods. There are overflow drainage slots at the reservoir boundary to prevent waterlogging, and wicking capillaries continue to supply water to the roots of the plants between rainfall events.

The block includes forklift slots in the base and a lifting eye in the centre, allowing blocks to be deployed and removed conveniently using a variety of different lifting equipment.

Easy to Install

Structural soils can be installed using standard site machinery—no specialist equipment required. The simple design means they can be accessed or removed later if underground works are needed.

Designing for Success

To ensure urban trees reach maturity, three fundamentals must be built into every tree pit:

  • Soil Volume – Sufficient space for root growth at the tree’s mature size.
  • Water Supply – Continuous access to rainwater through integrated drainage design.
  • Air Access – Pathways for oxygen to reach roots and soil organisms.

To find out more please visit Stockholm Tree Pits