350 years in the center of Tashkent. The history of the tree on the "Blue Domes" alley

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Trees preserve the memory of the past. They live for decades and even hundreds of years, survive different eras and generations, and remember cities when they were completely different. Many have long become a familiar part of the urban landscape, although by no means every passerby thinks about how much they have managed to see.

As Daryo was informed by the Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, today there are more than 4.6 thousand trees aged 100 years and older in Uzbekistan.

One of them is a 350-year-old white mulberry tree growing on the "Blue Domes" alley in the Yakkasaray district of the capital. This year, the Kengash of People's Deputies of the city of Tashkent declared this tree a state natural monument.

The new status attracted even more attention to the old mulberry tree. Specialists inspected the tree and discussed what needs to be done to preserve it and ensure proper care.

But care for this "veteran" began long before it received the status of a natural monument. Gulnara Djambekova, Director of the International Center for Molecular Allergology (ICMA) of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as ecologist and water resources specialist Nina Pikul, told a Daryo correspondent about how specialists and concerned people united around the old tree, what difficulties they faced, and what they are doing for its preservation.

### From scientific research to saving the tree

Gulnara Djambekova's interest in the white mulberry arose during the work of the International Center for Molecular Allergology. The center was established in 2018, and one of its areas of activity is aerobiological monitoring, which is the study of air for the presence of plant pollen and fungal spores.

In the spring of last year, Gulnara Djambekova noticed that the tree had changed: part of the trunk had disappeared. It then became clear that observation alone was no longer enough. It was necessary to assess the condition of the tree and understand what could be done to preserve the 350-year-old mulberry.

Gradually, other specialists joined the work — dendrologists, phytopathologists, quarantine service employees, and landscaping specialists. Thus, caring for the old tree ceased to be the business of a single person, and people of various professions united around it.

"We were looking for specialists who could advise us on what to do. As a result, an initiative group of interested people gathered — 'Fakhriy darakht', which means 'Veteran Tree'," recalls the director of the ICMA.

As Gulnara Djambekova said, at first, ecologists were not even sure that they were indeed looking at a mulberry tree. Many damages, presumably caused by insect pests, were found on its leaves. Therefore, specialists began treating the tree. At the same time, the group also observed other mulberry trees.

The damaged areas were cleared of fungal formations and then treated with special compounds. Clay and various preparations, including Bordeaux mixture, were used in the work.

"Thanks to them, a thin protective film forms on the surface of the leaves and bark. It suppresses fungal spores and prevents infection from penetrating inside the plant," explains Gulnara Djambekova.

In winter, the treated areas were covered with plastic wrap and secured with tape. According to the specialist, this was done so that the compound would not be washed away by rain and would not be damaged by frost. This spring, specialists inspected the tree again and carried out treatment. After this, new branches appeared on the mulberry tree. They plan to repeat this work once more to prepare the tree for autumn and winter.

### "A tree is a living organism"

The story of the old mulberry tree also forced ecologists to pay attention to how old trees should be cared for in general.

"A tree is a living organism. We must understand that leaves are its hands. They work, participate in photosynthesis, absorb sunlight, and thanks to this, give the tree energy. Therefore, when we remove branches and leaves unnecessarily, we are actually depriving the tree of part of its ability to feed and recover," explained Nina Pikul.

The expert also emphasized that young and old trees need to be cared for differently. This applies not only to pruning but also to watering and fertilizing.

"They have different needs. You need to understand when to water the tree, what to feed it, and which branches to remove," she said.

According to the "Fakhriy darakht" group, this knowledge is especially important for people involved in landscaping and caring for green spaces.

### Tree care specialists need to be trained

According to Gulnara Djambekova, one of the problems is that not all employees caring for green spaces have special training. Therefore, she considers it necessary to train such workers.

"We need to explain how to prune trees correctly, at what time to do it, which branches can be removed, and which cannot. You can't just tell a person: 'Prune the tree'," she noted.

According to her, it is also important to tell ordinary residents about this. Schoolchildren, students, elderly people, and other citizens will be able to participate in educational events.

The director of the ICMA calls this approach ecological literacy. She also believes that residents can be involved in observing trees. People will be able to notice problems and report them to specialists.

The work of the specialists also continued at the official level. In January 2026, the initiative group appealed to the Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Aziz Abdukhakimov. The ecologists asked to include the tree in the registry of monumental trees of Uzbekistan and to organize regular monitoring of its condition.

The authors of the appeal noted that the 350-year-old mulberry has not only natural but also historical value. In their opinion, it is part of Tashkent's heritage that must be preserved for future generations.

### How they want to protect the old mulberry tree

Separately, specialists talk about the physical protection of the tree. According to Djambekova and Pikul, a fence needs to be installed around the mulberry tree as soon as possible. This will help reduce the risk of accidental damage.

Another issue is an information plaque. Specialists believe that it should be highly visible and contain information in three languages. A person should understand that they are looking not just at an old big tree, but at a natural object that needs to be protected.

Members of the initiative group also suggest not planting flowers directly around the trunk. Instead, the ground near the base of the tree, in their opinion, can be covered with mulch. For example, this could be shredded wood, wood chips, bark, dry leaves, or compost.

### Specialists do not advise whitewashing the old tree

Specialists separately discussed the issue of whitewashing. According to Gulnara Suleymanovna, young trees can be whitewashed, but for such an old mulberry tree, this procedure is not necessary. Instead, she suggests monitoring the condition of the damaged areas, cleaning them, and, if necessary, treating them with special compounds.

According to her, before autumn and winter, the tree needs to be inspected again and, if necessary, the damaged areas should be treated.

### "We are not going to abandon it"

Now specialists continue to monitor the condition of the 350-year-old mulberry tree. Gulnara Djambekova says that the appearance of new branches after the damage became an important sign for them. This shows that the tree needs to be continued to be cared for.

"We continue to monitor it and are not going to abandon it," say the ecologists.

According to the specialists, it is now important not only to help the tree itself recover but also to create conditions under which it will not be additionally damaged by people and will not be harmed by improper care.

The story of this mulberry tree shows: a protective status alone is not enough to preserve an old tree. It needs constant care, competent specialists, and people's attention.