Taiwan's native forest plants: Forestry Bureau selects 106 species for use in gardening, landscaping and street trees
Forests cover 60% of Taiwan's land area, and the island is home to more than 4,500 species of native vascular plants. Yet most horticultural and street trees, such as the blackboard tree and the golden trumpet tree, are exotic species. To let people appreciate the beauty of native plants, the Forestry Bureau commissioned Tseng Yen-hsueh, a professor in the Department of Forestry at National Chung Hsing University, to screen out native plants suitable for growing indoors, in courtyards, in parks and along streets for horticultural and landscaping purposes. The first batch, a list of 106 species, has now been released, encouraging all sectors to plant them widely. (To view the recommended list, click here)
Tseng Yen-hsueh and his research team also compiled a list of recommended tree species for each county and city in Taiwan and provided it to their governments. Tseng Yen-hsueh said that native tree species are more familiar with the local environment, are less prone to pests and diseases, and have relatively low management costs. He hopes that "every county and city will have its own representative tree."
Taiwan has more than 4,500 species of native vascular plants; native plants are easy to manage and have distinctive character
What are the benefits of planting native plants? Tseng Yen-hsueh, a professor in the Department of Forestry at National Chung Hsing University who has studied plants for more than thirty years and also serves as director of the university's Experimental Forest Management Office, said that unlike exotic species, native plants are already adapted to the local climate and environment, so the incidence of pests and diseases is lower and management is relatively easy for nursery operators and growing enthusiasts. In addition, the plants suitable for planting differ from place to place, and native plants can be developed into the distinctive feature of each county and city.
"Native plants are less likely to have pests and diseases, so a lot less pesticide can be used." Li Tsai-yuan, vice chairman of the National Federation of Horticultural and Floral Business Associations of the Republic of China, said that native plants have fewer pests and diseases and are easy for nursery operators to care for, which can reduce the number of sprayings and time costs, and reducing spraying is relatively friendlier to the environment and human health. "We actually hate spraying; every time we go out to spray, it's a risk."
The first batch screens 106 species of native plants with horticultural and landscaping value, following principles such as the right plant for the right place and easy care
Lin Hua-ching, director-general of the Forestry Bureau, explained that at the end of 2018 (the 107th year of the Republic of China), the Forestry Bureau asked Tseng Yen-hsueh, a professor in the Department of Forestry at National Chung Hsing University, to help inventory Taiwan's native plants. After the first list of plants with potential for horticultural and landscaping projects was screened out, seed collection and seedling cultivation were carried out in the Forestry Bureau's nurseries across Taiwan in 2019 (the 108th year of the Republic of China). The first distribution of native tree seedlings is expected on March 20, International Forest Day, and they will subsequently be provided to operators, schools, communities and other units with afforestation needs.
How were more than 4,500 species of plants screened in such a short time? "The goal is plants suitable for urban planting and easy to care for." Tseng Yen-hsueh explained that the screening had to follow several principles, the first being the right plant for the right place. "Species native to high altitudes, aquatic plants and ferns were excluded first." He said the goal was to select plants suitable for urban planting, and the above three categories are not suited to life in the city, so they were screened out first.
The second principle was size. Different plants were classified by length, width and height, and then whether they are convenient to care for was considered. Tseng Yen-hsueh said this step was jointly checked off by more than 100 experts, scholars and operators. After the selections were completed, the plants were classified by region, such as north, central and south, according to the environment suitable for each plant, then further subdivided down to individual counties and cities according to local characteristics, and only then were these 106 species selected.
Indoor, outdoor, campus, park, street tree - there is a tree to choose for every purpose
Based on common horticultural and landscaping areas and uses, Tseng Yen-hsueh further categorized the different native plants into suitable groups. He first divided them into two major categories, horticulture and landscaping. Within horticulture, he further divided them into those that can be planted indoors and those for outdoor courtyards, while within landscaping he divided them into three types: campus, park and street tree. "The plant needs for each use are different. Decide how it will be used first, and plant classification will be much faster."
Tseng Yen-hsueh explained that indoor horticultural plants must be shade-tolerant and relatively small; outdoor horticultural plants for courtyards and large terraces must be drought-tolerant, heat-tolerant and wind-resistant; campus landscaping plants must be edible by people and attract birds, and must be non-toxic and harmless; park and street tree landscaping plants aim to be beautiful and to showcase local character. "Campus plants are a concern because schoolchildren might eat them by mistake, which is why there is the consideration of whether people can eat them."
"Many parks and street trees now are exotic species." Tseng Yen-hsueh said that the currently popular golden trumpet tree, and the camphor tree and golden shower tree commonly seen as street trees in Taipei, are all exotic species, while the blackboard tree, a major street tree in Taichung, is also an exotic species, and its unpleasant smell gives the public a poor impression. There are many native plants that are attractive in appearance, highly tolerant of the environment, and fragrant that can be chosen instead.
