For the planting season from November 2025 to March 2026, Zagreb announced 8.015 new trees at 1.317 locations. The programme concerned planting within the city itself, not the forest areas of Medvednica. Alongside public green spaces, it covered the grounds of kindergartens, schools and health centres.

Key points

  • A total of 8,015 trees have been announced for 1,317 locations in Zagreb's urban area.
  • The plan covered around 160 species and saplings approximately 6 to 15 years old.
  • Around 3,000 trees were to come from the city nursery, and around 5,000 through public procurement.

The number of trees planted is only an initial indicator

A major annual planting campaign can quickly increase the number of trees, but the figure alone does not tell us how many will survive their first critical years. Real impact depends on species and site selection, soil volume and quality, proper planting, root protection, water availability and care over several years.

In urban conditions, trees are exposed to compacted soil, heat, drought, salt, mechanical damage and restricted root space. A planting plan should therefore be accompanied by a publicly available maintenance plan and survival indicators after one, three and five years.

Species diversity reduces systemic risk

The announcement of approximately 160 species matters because excessive reliance on a small number of species increases vulnerability to disease, pests and climate extremes. Diversity is not an end in itself, however: each species must suit the microclimate, street width, underground utilities and expected canopy space.

The most useful public report would therefore include not only the total number of saplings but also a map of locations, species, the contractor, watering arrangements, the condition of each tree and the reason for any replacement. This turns the programme from an annual campaign into measurable city infrastructure.

Editorial noteThe text summarises publicly announced figures from the planting plan and adds editorial context about planting quality and care. Photographs from the original media outlet have not been reproduced; the visual is a separately generated and clearly labelled illustration.

From the same topic

Urban ecosystems

Related records linked by topic — not necessarily projects described in this article.

The city's green heartCroatian Forest Research Institute · Samobor · Daruvar · Varaždin · Zadar and other locationsZagreb 2030City of Zagreb · City of Zagreb