New insights on management strategies for invasive plant species in urban environment and selection of new sustainable ornamentals

Invasive alien plants are a global issue that negatively impacts many ecosystems and economies. One major source of invasive alien plants is ornamental horticulture, as many coveted plants are popular precisely because they are easy to grow and maintain. These same traits are found in invasive plant species and are often responsible for the ability of alien ornamental plants to become invasive. Ornamental horticulture, however, is uniquely positioned to reduce the influx of invasive plants through the curtailment of the sale of invasive ornamental varieties and the development of non-invasive cultivars. A plant’s invasive potential is determined by its capacity for rapid and efficient colonization and spread, characterized in part by high propagule pressure, fast growth rates and phenotypic plasticity. Some of these traits can be targeted using genetic tools and traditional plant breeding to reduce invasiveness by creating semi- or fully sterile cultivars. In the present work, we present the research framework and ideas included in the research program titled “Analysis of alien and invasive plant species in the urban environment” within the Project “National Biodiversity Future Center – NBFC” to identify and develop novel non-invasive ornamental plants for future sustainable urban ornamental horticulture.