900 Year Old Plane Tree to Be Rehabilitated

A giant 900-year old plane tree in Telavi will be rehabilitated to prolong its life. German specialist Dietler Koch will visit Georgia in spring to examine the tree and plan the appropriate actions.

According to Vice Mayor of Telavi Tengiz Mtvarelishvili, firstly, twigs will be removed or formed with belts to relieve the tree. Then it will be examined with a unique X-ray machine to identify exactly what they are dealing with. Only after this will the rehabilitation be carried out.

“It is necessary to prolong the life of the tree. I was in Germany and met with the high-level expert Dietler Koch. He once was here and saw the tree. Koch will come back in March and start work,” said Mtvarelishvili.

Rescuing the tree will require GEL 35,000. Biberach in Germany, a twin town to Telavi, will cover 90% of the expenses, while the rest will be covered by the local municipality.

The 40 meter tall plane tree, the biggest plane tree in Georgia, is located next to the palace of King Erekle II and slowly dying. Its trunk is 3.6 meters in diameter and 11 meters in circumference.