Climate Ready Landscape Plants
What Happens When Plants are Pushed to Their Limits?
The Western U.S. is expected to experience more extreme droughts due to climate change.
Beautiful, low water-use plants will be critical to crafting inspiring, sustainable home landscapes.
Welcome back to our second episode in Pacific Horticulture’s three-part series on the Climate-Ready Landscape Plants project.
In this project, six western universities and institutions are working together with USDA grant funding to assist the green industry and to show the public what will thrive and what will perish when plants are pushed to their limits. The Climate Ready Landscape Plants project tells us which plants can take the lowest water conditions in vastly different conditions, from Utah to Washington.
In the first of the three years, all plants are well-irrigated. In the next two years examples of each plant are exposed to three separate levels of irrigation and evaluated for blooms, leaf health, and signs of pests or diseases. For accurate comparisons, the six locations are using the same protocol and equipment.
Today we are diving deeper into the methods of the study, how local climate conditions are affecting the plants, and finally, getting an early look at a few peak performers, some of which may surprise you.
If you haven’t seen Episode 1, find it HERE.
Landscapes of Change
Behind every big collaboration, a team of specialists is making unique contributions to improve the way we garden. This mini-documentary series features stories and projects as they evolve over time.
Documenting stories of climate resilience in horticulture, landscape design, restoration, and applications of research. New models that impact green infrastructure and industry, explore real and human challenges, and the amazing professionals who are driving innovation.
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