The history of the cypress trees that line the streets of the Fasouri neighborhood in Limassol dates back nearly 100 years.
How did an area that was once a marsh begin to change in the 1930s, eventually transforming into fertile land?
As agronomist Nicolas Zenonos explained to journalist Olga Konstantinou and the camera crew of the Alpha News program, The Cyprus Phassouri Plantations company has been active in the area since 1933.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“Back then, two Jewish men—Abbas and the agronomist, Slonim—decided that the area was suitable for citrus fruits.”
So, he added, they had to clear the entire area and then planted, around the perimeter of the Alyki area and downwards, 25,000 eucalyptus trees and around 30,000 cypress trees, successfully creating a fertile area.
Since then, citrus cultivation has continued—for nearly 100 years now—in consultation with the Forestry Department.
There are “several tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands” of cypress trees in the area.
The agronomist emphasized that the cypress trees are part of the cultivation process, serving as “windbreaks” and protecting the soil from flooding. He stressed that without the cypress trees, there would be a problem with citrus crops.
Efforts are being made to plant “double” rows of cypress trees along the roads so that, should it become necessary to cut down some older cypress trees, another row will be available.
