‘Washingtonian palms’ come to Abkhazia after former destruction by palm weevil
60 palm trees of the Washingtonia variety were brought to Sukhum from Italy. They will be planted on the embankment to replace the local unique elephant palms that have died in the past two years.
This is the first project of the new Sukhumi mayor Kan Kvarchia, who was appointed to this post at the end of October 2019. The mayor personally planted the first palm tree near the Abkhazia Hotel, the remaining trees are scheduled be planted before the New Year.
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In Abkhazia, there has been a quarantine on the import of any plants in force for more than a year. It was introduced after the appearance in 2018 of the palm weevil in the republic – a pest that destroyed several dozen palm trees in Sukhum and Gagra.
But the mayor managed to get permission from the government for the one-time import of this batch of palm trees.
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According to the head of the communal department, Elena Atepina, the trees from Italy underwent a thorough inspection of environmental and quarantine services, and at several borders.
The palm trees are from thirty to forty years old, their trunks reach two meters in height, and the crown – one and a half meters.
These palm trees are widely used throughout the world for the improvement the urban landscapes.
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The mayor’s office promises that palm planting will be carried out in compliance with all technological procedures, under the control of representatives of the company from which they were purchased.
The seller company has committed itself to the care and treatment of new plantings, the city hall told reporters
