Germination and performance of seven native wildflowers in the Mediterranean landscape plantings

Abstract

The use of native species in landscape design is a choice related to environmental sustainability and it contributes to the aesthetic appeal of urban and marginal areas. However, to date, the lack of knowledge of the ecological characteristics and agronomic practices of these species, represents a limit for their use. This study aims to obtain information about germination ecology, morphological traits and ornamental value of 7 selected perennial native taxa, with potential use in meadows seed mixtures for the Mediterranean environment. Seed germination for each taxon was assessed under different conditions (temperature, photoperiod and pre-treatment) in a controlled environment, while data on plant performances was collected from field plots. In general, the dormant seeds showed a positive response to pre-treatment with gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) and chilling within a period of about six months from the time of seed collection. The dependence of germination on light and temperature was observed in most of the tested taxa.Differences in plant height and flowering dynamics gave practical directions in terms of combining seeds of different species to create and maintain a wildflower meadow in lowmaintenance areas. Crepis bursifolia L. and Hypochaeris radicata L. were the only two species which showed good persistence during the two-year field study and met the aesthetic requirements of low-input Mediterranean landscaping. Our study by adding original findings to the limited knowledge available on wildflower sowing in the Mediterranean environment,contributes to the development of sustainable strategies in the greening projects designed for those peculiar climatic conditions.

Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) as a Novel Multipurpose Crop for the Mediterranean Region of Europe: Challenges and Opportunities of Their Cultivation

“…Ideal cover-crop species should be native, with low requirements and low competitive ability. Studies targeted to identify cover crops suitable for hopyard management in the Mediterranean environment are lacking [101].…”

Uvođenje hrvatskih samoniklih vrsta u hortikulturu – primjer hrvatske bresine (Micromeria croatica (Pers.) Schott)

“…Ona ovisi o jednostavnosti razmnožavanja i eventualnim problemima u tehnologiji proizvodnje, podnošenju različitih ekoloških uvjeta, otpornosti na bolesti i štetnike ali i samoj dekorativnosti vrste. Nedostatak znanja o ekološkim svojstvima i tehnologiji uzgoja samoniklih vrsta predstavlja limitirajući faktor za njihovu upotrebu (Scarici et al, 2017.). Kako bi se procijenio početni potencijal neke vrste za uvođenje u uzgoj potrebno je za početak sakupiti osnovne podatke o vrsti, njenoj rasprostranjenosti, ekologiji te prirodnoj varijabilnosti morfoloških svojstava što će omogućiti selekciju i daljnje razmnožavanje fenotipski superiornih jedinki.…”

Germination Performances of 14 Wildflowers Screened for Shaping Urban Landscapes in Mountain Areas

“…The European Environment Agency [1] states that the 'quality of life in cities depends on the existence of sufficient attractive urban green areas for people and wildlife to thrive'. Recent research indicated that the biodiversity in green areas, both within and outside cities, should be increased by using native wildflowers [2][3][4]. These are defined as combinations of annual or perennial herbaceous wild species suitable for sowing in low maintenance areas [5][6][7][8].…”