Shovel in hand, Benoît Payan, the mayor of Marseille, launched the city’s “tree plan” this Thursday in the 26th Centenary Park (10th arrondissement). This provides for the planting of 308,000 trees and shrubs, including 8,000 adult trees. An operation costing 16.9 million euros and which will have to be spread over six years, mainly in winter, a period suitable for transplants.
This year, nearly 15,000 trees, including just over 1,150 adults, were planted. A planting rate expected to double next year. Around thirty species adapted to the limestone soil and the Mediterranean climate have been selected and are cultivated for three years in the municipal nursery. They will populate, among other things, the future 19-hectare Aygalades park, in the northern districts of Marseille.
For their maintenance, connected watering of city parks will be widespread. The municipality specifies that these trees will provide favorable shade to city dwellers after ten years. You will have to have a little patience to reap the fruits of these plantations.