In this year's autumn-winter planting season in Osijek, 1,448 new trees are scheduled to be planted, which will bring the total number of trees planted since 2021 to 7,080. This was highlighted by Mayor Ivan Radić on Friday, at the start of tree planting along the Osijek promenade.
As part of the current planting, 740 trees are being planted on the promenade and on the left and right banks of the Drava. Unikom Director Igor Pandžić explained that this year's planting on both banks of the Drava continues last year's greening of the right bank. On the promenade, planters have also been arranged and more than 3,000 shrubs have been planted.
Funds for the city's green areas have increased from €1.56 million to €4.1 million since 2021, representing a rise of more than 100 per cent. New trees will also be planted in recently renovated car parks on Ulica Republike, near Zeke, Blok, Centar 2 and the Gornjodravski car park. The completion of existing tree lines is also planned in Europska avenija, Ulica Hrvatske Republike, Radićeva ulica and other parts of the city.
Jure Smajić, head of landscape works at Unikom's Greening Department, highlighted that planting of a new tree line of 52 Japanese pagoda trees has begun on the promenade. The species, Styphnolobium japonicum, the Japanese pagoda tree, is highly resistant to climate change and urban conditions.
Smajić added that tree selection takes into account their resilience, adaptation to local conditions and the creation of higher-quality public spaces, with preference given to native species wherever possible.
