The Growth and Qualitative Traits of Eighteen Ornamental Cover Plants in the Climatic Conditions of Gorgan, Iran

Subject Areas : Journal of Ornamental Plants

Hosein Zarei ¹ , Mehrdad Babarabie ²

1 - Department of Horticultural and Green Space Science and Engineering, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
2 - Department of Agriculture, Minab Higher Education Complex, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran

Received: 2024-08-07 Accepted : 2024-09-24 Published : 2024-12-18

Keywords: Climate, Ground cover, Green spaces, Landscape,

Abstract :

Given the deficiency of water resources in many Iranian cities and the substantial water usage by lawns, exploring the feasibility of reducing lawn areas and expanding green areas with planting cover plants is a rational approach to achieving sustainable green space. Cover plants offer a more varied and natural visual appeal than grasses. An essential consideration in green space design is selecting plants that respond well to seasonal changes in different climates. The present study aimed to evaluate 18 cover plants in the climatic conditions of Gorgan, Iran, over the course of a year (four seasons). The traits measured included appearance quality, chlorophyll a, b, and total, carotenoid content, and plant growth percentage. The comparison of data means indicated that the highest and lowest growth rates throughout the four seasons were observed in Carpobrotus acinaciformis and Festuca ovina, respectively. Carpobrotus acinaciformis exhibited the highest levels of chlorophyll a, b, and total. Alternanthera bettzickiana showed the highest carotenoid content in its leaves, closely followed by Frankenia thymifolia. The best visual quality was for Osteospermum ecklonis in spring, followed by Frankenia thymifolia, Plectranthus australis, and Lysimachia nummularia. The research revealed that, out of the 18 cover crops examined, the most suitable species for the urban green spaces of Gorgan under full sunlight and with no shading are Frankenia thymifolia, Osteospermum ecklonis, Liriope muscari, Sedum reflexum, Ruellia tweediana, Carpobrotus acinaciformis, and Armeria maritima. Additionally, plants like Cerastium tomentosum, Phalaris arundinacea, and Lysimachia nummularia, which exhibited yellowing and diminished growth and appearance quality due to the intense summer light in the summer, are likely to thrive in Gorgan’s urban green spaces if they are cultivated in shaded areas.

 

 

References:

Acar, C., and Var, M. 2001. A study on the adaptations of some natural ground cover plants and on their implications in landscape architecture in the ecological conditions of trabzon. Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 25: 235-245.
Amoroso, G., Frangi, P., Piatti, R. and Fini, A. 2009. Mulching as alternative to chemical weed control in nursery containerized crops. Advances in Horticultural Science, 23: 276–279.
Arnon, D.I. 1965. Photosynthesis by isolated chloroplast. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 20: 440-461.
Barnes, J.D., Balaguer, L., Manrique, E., Elvira, S. and Davison, A.A. 1992. A reappraisal of the use of DMSO for extraction and determination of chlorophyll a and b in lichens and higher plants. Environment and Experiment Botany Journal, 32: 85-100.
Campoy, J. G., Lema, M., Fenollosa, E., Munné‐Bosch, S. and Retuerto, R. 2021. Functional responses to climate change may increase invasive potential of Carpobrotus edulis. American Journal of Botany, 108(10): 1–15.
Esmaeili, S., Salehi, H. and Khosh-Khui, M. 2017. Seasonal changes in some physiological and biochemical responses of six groundcover plants. International Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology, 4 (1): 105-116.
Esteban, R., Fernandez-Marin, B., Becerril, J. and Garcia-Plzaola, J. 2008. Photoprotective implications of leaf variegation in Erytronium denscanis L. and Pulmonaria officinalis L. Journal of Plant Physiology, 165 (12): 1255-1263.
Foo, C.L., Harrington, K.C. and Mackay, M.B. 2011. Weed suppression by twelve ornamental ground cover species. New Zealand Plant Protection, 64: 149–154.
Gandia-Herrero, F. and Garcia- Carmona, F. 2013. Biosynthesis of betalains: Yellow and violet plant pigments. Trends in Plant Science, 18: 334-343.
Gilman, E. 1999. Liriope spicata. Fact Sheet FPS. University of Florida Publication, 350: 1-3.
Hartley, M.J., Rahman, A., Harrington, K.C. and James, T.K. 2000. Assessing ground covers in a newly planted apple orchard. New Zealand Plant Protection, 53: 22-27. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1745
Jozay, M., Kazemi, F. and Fotovat, A. 2023. Performance of Frankenia thymifolia as a ground cover plant species and its effect on physicochemical characteristics of recycled substrates in four different seasons in external green wall systems. Journal of Plant Environmental Physiology, 69 (1): 1-25.
Marble, S.C., Koeser, A.K., Hasing, G., McClean, D. and Chandler, A. 2017. Efficacy and estimated annual cost of common weed control methods in landscape planting beds. HortTechnology, 27 (2): 199–211.
McKeown, T., Fields, J. and Abdi, D. 2023. The effect of ornamental groundcover habit and irrigation delivery on dynamic soil conditions. Landscape Ecology, 12 (6): 1119. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061119
Mushtaqian, M. and Staki, M. 2015. Public and private floriculture (seasonal outdoor flowers and cover plants – lawns). Agricultural Research and Education Publications. 200 p.
Olko, A., Abratowska, A., Zylkowska, J. and wierzbicka, M. 2008. Armeria maritima from a calamine heap - Initial studies on physiologic-metabolic adaptations to metal-enriched soil. Ecotoxicology and Environmental, 69: 209-218.
Rezaei, M. and Zabihi, H. 2015. The effect of cover plants in landscape urban design and providing a solution for economic saving (example lawn). Congress of New Researches in Civil Engineering, Architecture and the City. Tehran, Iran.
Richard, S., 2000. Phase change in Hedera helix induction of the mature to juvenile phase change by gibberellins. Invasive Plants of California’s Wildlands, 34: 141-147.
Ruggeri, R., Provenzano, M.E. and Rossini, F. 2016. Effect of mulch on initial coverage of four groundcover species for low input landscaping in a Mediterranean climate. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 19: 176-183.
Shooshtarian, S., Salehi, H. and Tehranifar, A. 2011. Study of growth and development features of ten ground cover plants in Kish Island green space in warm season. Journal of Agroecology, 3 (4): 514-524.
Shooshtarian, S., Tehranifar, A., Ghani, A. and Kiani, M. 2011. Effects of irrigation frequency regimes on morphological and physiological characteristics of six sedum species. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 6 (26): 5694-5700.
Tanaka, Y., Sasaki, N. and Ohmiya, A. 2008. Biosynthesis of plant pigments: Anthocyanins, betalains and carotenoids. The Plant Journal, 54(4): 733-49.
Varga, L., Engel, R., Szabo, K., Abranko, L., Gosztola, B., Zamborine, E. and Sarosi, S. 2016. Seasonal variation in phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Glechoma hederacea L. harvested from six hungarian populations. Acta Alimentaria, 45 (2): 268-276.
Wang, D. 2021. Seasonal color matching method of ornamental plants in urban landscape construction. De Gruyter, 13: 594–605.
Zarei, H., Zeynali, E. and Babarabie, M. 2018. Investigation the capability of native herbaceous species of Gorgan as the ground covers. Journal of Plant Ecophysiology, 9 (32): 215-224.
Zhang, J., Zhu, L., Zhang, X. and Zhuo, J. 2020. Photosynthetic performance and growth responses of Liriope muscari (Decne.) L.H. Bailey (Asparagaceae) planted within poplar forests having different canopy densities. Research Square, 4: 1-25. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.2.18505/v4