Katija Dolina

Institute for Marine and Coastal Research

University of Dubrovnik http://www.imp-du.com/

location - southern Adriatic sea; 680 m - from

Dubrovnik Old town

northwest-southeast direction

surface area - 0,72 km²

lenght - 1800

m; width 250-

500 m

highest peak -

96 m a.s.l.

length

of coastline -

4800 m

Sedimentary rocks – limestones and dolomite

Mediterranean climate – dry and hot summers; mild

and rainy winters

Average annual air temperature -16 °C

Average annual precipitation - 1294 mm

Average annual air humidity - 64%

2584 hours of sunshine annually

1976. - Special reserve of forest vegetation

1979. - UNESCO

Lokrum – the name derives from

the Latin word acrumen = bitter

fruit (lemon, orange)

11the century, Benedictines on

Lokrum – introduction of several

ornamental species

Benedictine monastery claustrum

Dubrovnik Sea-men – plants brought

from far-away lands

Archduke F.M. of Habsburg, mid 19th

century – first planned introduction of

exotic plants

Roberto de Visiani (1863) notes over

90 non-native species on Lokrum

Sketch of Lokrum from the notebook of Roberto de

Visiani (Padua Botanical Garden in Italy)

1959 – botanical garden is founded by HAZU (Croatian Academy of

Arts and Sciences). The concept was based on the years long

tradition with the purpose of research and study of the introduction

and adaptation of the tropical and sub-tropical plants.

The plants were cultivated from the

seeds obtained through an

exchange programme with

botanical gardens from around the

world.

Special attention was given to the

plants of importance to forestry,

horticulture, and pharmaceutical

uses, particularly trees and shrubs

that derived from similar areas in

terms of climate (Australia,

California, mid Chile, and southern

Africa)

The garden’s layout was designed

by dr. sc. Bruno Šišić, an eminent

landscape architect from Dubrovnik.

garden itself is the life-work of dr. sc. Lav Rajevski

Lav and Ksenija Rajevski,1988 in the

Botanical Garden

1990s - during Croatia’s

War of Independence, the

garden suffered more than

50 direct artillery hits that

damaged many of its plants

and destroyed much of its

infrastructure.

The library was burnt in fire,

and with it most of the

documentation

1993 – restoration of the

garden

Since 2006, the garden is an active part of the Institute for Marine and

Coastal Research of the University of Dubrovnik.

It covers an area of about 2 hectares (the exhibition area 1,2

hectares)

The garden employs one botanist and one gardener.

Species in the garden are generally organized by taxonomic Family,

but in some cases are arranged according to their particular growth

requirements

Location of the most

represented plant

families

400 species grown on

exibition area, mostly threes

and shurbs

200 species of succulents on

exibition area and in greenhouse

Aloe striatula Mill.

Echinocactus grusonii Hildm.

Puya alpestris (Poepp.)

Gay

The most represented is the myrtle

family (Myrtaceae)

1980s – the collection of eucalyptuses

was estimated as the richest collection

of Eucalyptus species outside

Australia and New Zealand.

Callistemon rugulosus (D.F.K. Schltdl. ex Link) DC.

Februrary 2012

Acacia retinodes

Cortaderia selloana

Strelitzia reginae

Daphniphyllum macropodum

Opuntia microdasys

Pinus montezumae

Due to the garden being part of the Special reserve of

forest vegetation each activity is preceded by the

obtaining of permits by competent authorities which

process is cumbersome.

The lack of financial means and work force are

problems ongoing for years

Today, the concept of botanical gardens with the aim of

research of the introduction and adaptation of the non-

native plant species is mainly abandoned.

Our aim is to cultivate

indigenous Mediterranean

species, particularly

protected, rare and

endemic species of the

southern Croatian coastline

Ex situ conservation will

contribute to the protection

of these on their natural

habitat, and to the

conservation of the

biodiversity Arbutus andrachne in the Lokrum Botanical garden

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