Locals and loggers help pick native plants for landscaping
Native Plants
If you're tired of babying finicky ornamental plants that weren't built for your climate, this study shows how pairing old botanical records with the knowledge of people who've lived alongside a forest for decades can surface tough, low-maintenance natives that thrive with almost no intervention.
A team studying Thailand's Wangchan Forest wanted to find plants that actually belong there instead of the imported ornamentals typically used in landscaping. They cross-checked an official plant database against what herbal doctors, local elders, and former loggers knew from decades of living in and around the forest, and found 137 locally recognized plants that weren't even in the official records. From all of this they narrowed things down to 125 native species, sorted by how much drought, humidity, or water they can handle, giving landscapers a ready-made palette of plants that fit the local environment without constant watering or care.
Key Findings
Of 13,527 plant species in Thailand's national database, 1,724 occur in the Southeastern Floristic Region and 516 were confirmed native to Wangchan Forest specifically
Local ecological knowledge (from herbal doctors, pioneers, and former loggers) identified 137 species recognized locally but completely missing from the official botanical database
A selection framework based on drought tolerance, humidity, and water needs narrowed the list to 125 native species recommended for landscape use, grouped into four categories (drought-tolerant, moderately drought-tolerant, high-humidity, riparian/aquatic)
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers in Thailand combined plant databases with interviews of local herbal doctors and former loggers to identify 125 native plant species well suited for landscaping, offering a model for replacing imported ornamental plants with regionally adapted ones that need less upkeep and support local wildlife.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Potential Native Plant Selection for Sustainable Landscape Architecture in Wangchan Forest, Rayong, Thailand
Landscape architecture in Thailand still relies heavily on commercially propagated species. While convenient,this dependence narrows the design palette and promotes inclusion of exotic species or e...
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