One Hundred Years of Tree Cultivation

The numerous trees that line Zagreb's streets and squares exist thanks to the century-long development of tree cultivation at the Markuševac nursery.

Beautiful and regularly kept green surfaces, which the citizens of Zagreb have been proud of for more than a hundred years now, are complemented by the numerous lines of trees that have been cultivated at the Markuševac nursery. Many linden trees, magnolias, ash trees, maple, oak, plane trees and various other kinds of trees that line Zagreb's streets and squares exist thanks to the century-long development of tree cultivation at the Markuševac nursery.

Zagreb's horticultural tradition has deep roots in history; the biggest boom of park and garden landscaping culture happened in the 18th and 19th centuries. Parks that are part of the famous ''Green Horseshoe'', which is considered a masterpiece of European historicism, were built at that time, as well as Mirogoj cemetery, the Botanical Garden, and numerous other parks and forests. This horticultural spirit has also spread to smaller towns which, inspired by Mirogoj, began turning their cemeteries into tree-lined parks.

Some 20,000 specimens of different generations of trees and 15,000 decorative bushes are being cultivated at the Markuševac nursery today, 80 percent of which will be planted in Zagreb. These plants are taken care of by employees of the company Zrinjevac which is responsible for the upkeep of approximately 1000 hectares of public foliage in Zagreb, including 163 kilometers of tree-lines and 83 kilometers of hedges, as well as 440 playgrounds, numerous city squares, streets, etc.