With the tragic precedent of the palm tree in poor condition due to lack of water falling on a neighbor in Barcelona, Tarragona has focused on the state of its palms and has decided to cut down 14 specimens after the technicians determined that it was advisable do it for security reasons. The decision has been made after carrying out one of the reviews that had already been carried out periodically before what happened in the Catalan capital, according to sources from the City Council and the Port of Tarragona.
Most of the palm trees (eleven) have been felled on the seafront, in the Serrallo neighbourhood, a responsibility of the Port of Tarragona, "to avoid the risk of accidents". Eight of the palm trees have been replanted, but another species, the "more resistant" Washingtonia, has been chosen. The other three palm trees that have also been cut down for security reasons were in various parts of the city: Parque de la Ciutat, Plaza Alcalde Lloret, also in the center, and in the neighborhood of l'Arrabassada. “The Parcs i Jardins technicians carried out an additional review of the palm trees in Tarragona, specifically the Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) species following the fall of a palm tree that was in poor condition in Barcelona and caused the death of one person ”, add the same municipal sources.
After verifying that in the case of the Catalan capital "hydric stress" was one of the key factors, the Tarragona City Council (Parcs i Jardins) decided to "manually water all the specimens located in flower beds or areas without irrigation" . Dates have also been eliminated "in the palm trees with the most overweight"
In the case of the palm trees on the seafront, periodically checked by the gardening services of the Port of Tarragona, they were found to be in poor condition. "A narrowing was observed at the base of the crown, with a risk of breakage due to its own weight or in the event of a gale." After felling, it was found that "they were empty inside, which confirmed the success of replacing them."
The Tarragona City Council has carried out a review of all the Phoenix dactylifera (150 date palms), the same species as the fatal accident in Barcelona. "The most problematic specimens" were checked by an expert in palm trees. Although none of the three felled palm trees presented a risk of falling, the technicians thought it appropriate to cut them "to minimize the risks to zero."
Palm trees, although they are technically plants and not trees, have an arboreal habit and, due to their large dimensions, can pose a risk in the event of a fall.
