Attitudes of ornamental trees and shrubs producers towards nursery production of ornamental beech cultivars in Serbia

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is, along with its significance as a forest species, renowned as an ornamental species, due to its numerous cultivars. Ornamental beech cultivars are planted in various green spaces, but a small number of such trees have ascertained in Serbia. For the time being, production of beech cultivars is represented in a very small number of nurseries, with a negligible share of those seedlings in their total assortment. The aim of this research is to study the attitudes of ornamental trees and shrubs producers towards the nursery production of ornamental beech cultivars, and possibilities of its improvements in Serbia. “Door to door” survey and in-depth interviews were used as research techniques. Surveys with the representatives of 65 nurseries in Serbia (in the selected statistical region Šumadija and Western Serbia) were conducted in the first stage of data collection. In the second stage of data collection were interviewed the representatives of the 10 nurseries who, during the survey, pointed out that they produce ornamental beech cultivars. Nurserymen’s attitudes suggest that there is a possibility to improve the production of ornamental beech cultivars in Serbia, with the appropriate support measures and increased interest of customers on the market, i.e. with the provision of subsidies for the production of seedlings and greater use of cultivars by utility companies in the cities of Serbia. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. ТP 31041: Establishment of forest plantations to increase the afforested areas in Serbia