Seven million trees and shrubs will be planted between the new London to Birmingham HS2 rail route to help it blend in with the countryside, believed to be the biggest project of its kind.
Ministers hope the 650 hectares of new woodland will provide visual screening, cut noise from the line and provide new habitats for wildlife. The proposed woodland is expected to be one and a half the size of Sherwood Forest and five times the size of Hyde Park.
A number of trees species currently in decline, such as the Midlands Hawthorn and the Black Poplar, have been chosen to try and save them.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said the trees, which will be grown in the UK by family-run Crowders Nurseries in Lincolnshire, will also help to offset the carbon impacts of the building work. They added that construction is set to begin early next year.
HS2 Minister Andrew Jones said: “HS2 is doing more than any other major project to protect the environment and leave as little trace as possible.
"The new woodland will be managed for up to 50 years so that the trees are protected and communities will be able to enjoy the new woodlands for hundreds of years to come.
"HS2 is not only cutting journey times and providing rail passengers with thousands of extra seats every day it is also delivering wider economic benefits for the whole country.
"I am delighted that Crowders nurseries and the people of Lincolnshire are benefitting from HS2 and the contract to plant seven million trees along the route and I look forward to seeing the first saplings being planted."
It comes after the conservation agency Natural England warned that the HS2 rail link will destroy irreplaceable ancient woodland that has been continuously wooded for hundreds of years.
The Government agency said that HS2 Ltd must be far more ambitious in compensating effectively for unavoidable losses of ancient woodland, creating 30 hectares of new woodland for every hectare lost.
In October Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, announced that affected communities will receive a £70m sweetener from the project.
He insisted the Government is "not backing away" from the High Speed 2 rail link, despite increasing opposition to the scheme, which is expected to cost £55bn.
HS2 have said the latest major tree planting project will lead to the creation of around 25,000 jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships.
Yesterday the government announced an additional £5 million fund will also be established to help to create new native, broadleaf woodland, and enhance Britain's existing forestry.
As part of the fund, £1 million has been made available to the Forestry Commission to support projects that will help restore, enhance and extend ancient woodland on private land or in partnership with multiple landowners.
The Government added that they remain committed to planting 11 million trees over the course of this Parliament.
The ambition is to reach 12 per cent woodland cover by 2060. Peter Miller, the HS2 Environment Director, said: “Our woodlands are some of Britain’s most important natural habitats. That’s why it is vital that we leave behind a positive legacy of high quality green spaces all along the route.
“Today’s announcement takes us a step closer to that goal and I look forward to working with Crowders in the years ahead to deliver what will be one of the UK’s most ambitious new forestry and ecology projects.”