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Research in Context
Tree species with area of origin the American Continent
Cascabela thevetia
Apocynaceae
Distribution in Athens In the coastal borough of Palaio Faliro and the borough of Dafni-Hymettos (private gardens). Extremely rare. However its presence is documented in the Aegean islands (POWO database).
Biomes seasonally dry tropical
Countries and regions
Area of origin Mexico to South Tropical America.
Countries in the area of origin Argentina Northeast, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
Global Distribution (Introduced) East Aegean Is., Canary Is., Italy, Angola, Assam, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Cambodia, Caroline Is., Cayman Is., Chad, China South-Central, China Southeast, Comoros, Cook Is., Fiji, Cuba, USA, Dominican Republic, (Florida, Hawaii), Gambia, Gulf of Guinea Is., Gulf States, Hainan, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Marianas, Marquesas, Marshall Is., Nepal, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Senegal, Society Is., Taiwan, Trinidad-Tobago, Tuamotu, Vanuatu, Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Is.
Cities worldwide
Tree inventories In 41 inventories around the world. Mostly in S. and C. America and Africa:
AMERICAS: Brasil, Panama, Argentina (Buenos Ayres), Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, USA (Honolulu), Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Venezuela.
EUROPE: Spain.
ASIA: Turkey (Antalya), Palestine, Israel (Tel Aviv), India, China (Hong Kong)
AFRICA: Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Togo, Kenya, Botswana.
Literature references It is noted for its drought tolerance
Tecoma stans
Bignoniaceae
Distribution in Athens Very rare. In the southern borough of Elliniko - Argyroupoli.
Biomes wet tropical
Area of origin Tropical and Subtropical America.
Countries and regions
Countries in the area of origin Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Arizona, Bahamas, Bolivia, Cayman Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Florida, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Netherlands Antilles, New Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Peru, Puerto Rico, Southwest Caribbean, Texas, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Is.
Global Distribution (Introduced) Andaman Is., Ascension, Bangladesh, Spain, Canary Islands, Tunisia, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Cape Provinces, Caroline Is., Chad, India, Pakistan, West Himalaya, Christmas I., Comoros, Cook Is., Gilbert Is., Guinea, USA (Hawaii), KwaZulu-Natal, Line Is., Marianas, Marquesas, Mauritania, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Nicobar Is., Northern Provinces, St.Helena, Tuamotu, Tubuai Is., Vanuatu,
Cities worldwide
Tree inventories In 53 inventories around the world. :
OCEANIA: Australia
AMERICAS: Argentina (Buenos Ayres), Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Colombia, USA.
EUROPE: Spain (Barcelona)
ASIA: Palestine, Israel (Tel Aviv), United Arab Emirates, China (Hong Kong).
AFRICA: Morocco (Casablanca), Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Togo.
Literature references It is widespread in the Indian subcontinent.
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Gleditsia triacanthos
Fabaceae
Distribution in Athens It has a fair presence in some boroughs of Athens: Glyfada, Zografou, Kifissia. It has been noted to self propagate and expand at the NTUA campus park.
Biomes temperate
Countries and regions
Area of origin Brazil to NE. Argentina.
Countries in the area of origin Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay
Global Distribution (Introduced)
EUROPE: Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Czechia-Slovakia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Krym, North Caucasus, Portugal, Romania, South European Russia, Spain, Transcaucasus, Ukraine,
ASIA: India, Iraq, China Southeast, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan ,Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, West Himalaya, Tadzhikistan.
AFRICA: Cape Provinces, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Mozambique, Northern Provinces, New South Wales, Uganda, Zimbabwe.
AMERICAS: Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Canada (Nova Scotia, Ontario), Mexico Southwest, Uruguay, USA (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Washington)
OCEANIA: South Australia, Australia (Queensland, Victoria)
Cities worldwide
Tree inventories With Gingko biloba, the most common species in urban tree inventories worldwide. In 217 cities.
OCEANIA: Australia, New Zealand
AMERICAS: Argentina, Canada, Ecuador, USA
EUROPE: Austria (Vienna), Belgium, Croatia (Zagreb), Belgium, Denmark, France (Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Paris), Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy (Florence), Netherlands, Poland (Warsaw), Portugal (Lisbon), Spain (Barcelona, Valencia), UK (London), Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine
AFRICA: South Africa, Morocco,
ASIA = Turkey, Israel (Tel Aviv), Georgia (Tbilisi), Iran (Tehran).
Performance It appears to perform well and withstand urban heat.
Literature references There are many references on the prospect of this species for the urban climate of the future. ARDEM project, Maribel et al. (2024), Ferrini (2023), Sjöman and Anderson (2023).
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Schinus terebinthifolia
Anacardiaceae
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Distribution in Athens It has been used in recent plantings for park and plaza renovations in Greece: Nimfon Square in the borough Vouliagmeni, Platia Iroon in the borough Dafni - Hymettos, the city of Aliveri in the island of Evia.
Also a few trees have been recorded in streets in the borough of Kifissia and Irakleio (Attica).
Biomes dry tropical
Countries and regions
Area of origin Western Central & Eastern U.S.A. to Mexico.
Global Distribution (Introduced)
EUROPE: Canary Is., Madeira, Portugal, Spain.
ASIA: Ogasawara-shoto, Palestine, Vietnam
AFRICA: Algeria, Angola, Ascension, Benin, Botswana, Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Guinea, KwaZulu-Natal, Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues, St.Helena, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, Northern Provinces, Libya,
AMERICAS: Bahamas, Bermuda, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala Puerto Rico, Mexico Northwest, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., USA (Alabama, California, Florida, Texas, Hawaii), Venezuelan Antilles.
OCEANIA: South Australia, Western Australia, Marianas, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, New South Wales, Norfolk Island, Queensland, Samoa, Victoria.
Cities worldwide
Tree inventories In 57 inventories around the world.
OCEANIA: Australia
AMERICAS: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, USA
EUROPE: Portugal (Lisbon), Spain (Barcelona, Valencia)
ASIA: Palestine, Israel (Tel Aviv), Singapore
AFRICA: Morocco (Casablanca), Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe.
Performance It appears to perform well and withstand urban heat.
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Leucaena leucocephala
Fabaceae
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Distribution in Athens It has been used in recent plantings in the central square of in the borough of Ilioupoli.
Biomes seasonally dry tropical
Countries and regions
Area of origin Mexico to Central America.
Global Distribution (Introduced)
EUROPE: Baleares, Canary Is., Cyprus, Italy, Madeira, Portugal, Sicilia, Spain.
ASIA: Andaman Islands, Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chagos Archipelago, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Gulf States, Hainan, India, Iraq, Jawa, Kazan-retto, Laos, Lebanon-Syria, Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaya, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Nansei-shoto, Nicobar Islands, Ogasawara-shoto, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, West Himalaya, Yemen, Vietnam.
AFRICA: Algeria, Angola, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, DR Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ascension, Benin, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea islands, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Réunion, Rodrigues, St.Helena, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan-South Sudan, Tunisia, Liberia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa (Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Provinces), Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe.
AMERICAS: Argentina Northwest, Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Easter Islands, Ecuador, French Guiana, Galápagos, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Netherlands Antilles, Peru, Puerto Rico, Mexico Northwest, Southwest Caribbean, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., USA (Florida, Texas, Hawaii), Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Wake Island, Windward Islands.
OCEANIA: Australia (New South Wales, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria), Bismarck Archipelago, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Caroline Islands, Cook Is., Fiji, Gilbert Islands, Line Is., Marianas, Marquesas, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Niue, Phoenix Islands, Pitcairn Is., Samoa, Society Is., Solomon Is., Tonga, Tuamotu, Tubuai Island, Vanuatu, Wallis-Futuna Islands
Cities worldwide
Tree inventories In 55 inventories around the world.
OCEANIA: Australia
AMERICAS: Argentina (Buenos Aires), Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Panama, USA (Austin, Honolulu, Phoenix, Tampa).
EUROPE: Spain (Barcelona, Valencia).
ASIA: Iran, Turkey (Antalya), China, India, Taiwan, Thailand.
AFRICAS: Botswana, Zimbabwe, Niger, Nigeria, Morocco.
Performance It appears to perform well and withstand urban heat.
Jacaranda mimosifolia
Fabaceae
Distribution in Athens It is not an uncommon tree species in some boroughs of Athens. The site of the tree rows leading up to Zappeio Megaro is one of the most majestic landscapes in the center of Athens. However in most boroughs it is underutilized or absent. In the boroughs of city of Athens, Agios Dimitrios, Ilioupoli, Dafni-Hymettos, Kifissia.
Biomes Subtropical
Countries and regions
Area of origin Bolivia to NW. Argentina.
Countries in the area of origin Argentina Northwest, Bolivia, Paraguay
Global Distribution (Introduced)
EUROPE: Canary Is., East Aegean Is., Madeira, Spain.
ASIA: Assam, Bangladesh, China South-Central.
AFRICA: Eswatini, Gambon, Gambia, South Africa (Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Provinces), Tunisia.
AMERICAS: Argentina Northeast, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Juan Fernández Is., Haiti, Leeward Islands, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southwest, Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, TUSA (Hawaii), Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Islands.
OCEANIA: Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia), Marshall Islands.
Cities worldwide
Tree inventories In 112 inventories around the world.
OCEANIA: Australia.
AMERICAS: Argentina (Buenos Aires), Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico, USA (Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Oakland, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Tampa).
EUROPE: France (Bordeaux), Portugal (Lisbon), Spain (Barcelona, Costa Brava, Valencia)
ASIA: China, India, Israel (Tel Aviv), Palestine (Gaza).
AFRICA: Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo.
Performance It appears to perform well and withstand urban heat. It a species that is promoted in the new plantings of the city of Athens.
Literature references SelecTree for Southern California's Future Climate (2024).
Acer negundo
Sapindaceae
Distribution in Athens It is not an uncommon tree species in some boroughs of Athens. However in most boroughs it is underutilized or absent. In the boroughs of city of Athens, Agios Dimitrios, Aigaleo, Dafni-Hymettos, Gerakas, Haidari, Papagou-Cholargos, Palaion Faliron, Petroupoli, Kifissia, Nea Smyrni, Zografou. A few trees at the NTUA campus.
Biomes Temperate
Countries and regions
Area of origin N. America to Honduras.
Countries in the area of origin Argentina Northwest, Bolivia, Paraguay
Global Distribution (Introduced)
EUROPE: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Czechia-Slovakia, East European Russia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Sicilia, South European Russia, Spain, Sweden, Türkey-in-Europe, Ukraine.
ASIA: Altay, Amur, Buryatiya, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Inner Mongolia, Iraq, Kamchatka, Kazakhstan, Khabarovsk, Korea, Magadan, Primorye, Sakhalin, Tadzhikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkey, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, West Himalaya, West Siberia.
AFRICA: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia.
AMERICAS: Argentina Northeast, Bolivia.
OCEANIA: New Zealand.
Cities worldwide
Tree inventories One of the most common urban trees worldwide, along with Gingko biloba and Gleditsia triacanthos. In 207 inventories.
OCEANIA: Australia, New Zealand.
AMERICAS: Argentina (Buenos Aires), Brazil, Canada (Montreal, Quebec city, Toronto, Vancouver), Chile, Mexico, USA: Arlington, Athens, Berkeley, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Delaware, Denver, Ithaca, Kansas city, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, Oklahoma city, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa).
EUROPE: Austria (Vienna), Croatia (Zagreb), Denmark, Finland (Helsinki), France (Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Paris), Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg), Greece (Arta, Ioannina, Preveza), Hungary (Budapest), Ireland, Italy (Bologna, Florence, Turin), Netherlands, Norway (Oslo), Poland (Warsaw), Portugal (Lisbon), Spain (Barcelona, Costa Brava, Valencia), UK (Birmingham, Bristol, London), Slovakia (Bratislava), Sweden (Malmö), Switzerland (Basel, Bern, Geneva, Zurich), Ukraine.
AFRICA: South Africa (Johannesburg)
ASIA: China, Turkey (Antalya, Trabzon), Georgia (Tbilisi).
Performance It appears to perform well and withstand urban heat and narrow sidewalks. It is utilized in new plantings of some boroughs of Athens (city of Athens, Lykovrysi-Pefki).
Literature references Maribel et al., (2024), Sjöman and Anderson (2023).
Callianthe picta
syn. Abutilon pictum
Malvaceae
Distribution in Athens It is a species used rarely as a shrub in the urban green spaces. It can be found as a small tree in streets in the boroughs of Athens and Dafni-Hymettos.
Biomes Subtropical
Area of origin S. Brazil to NE. Argentina.
Tree inventories Only in tree inventories of Brazil.
Distribution in Athens It has been recently planted in Alsos Neas Smyrnis, which is a large park that attracts many visitors.
Biomes Temperate
Tree inventories
Countries and regions
Area of origin Central & E. U.S.A. to Central America.
Countries in the area of origin Alabama, Arkansas, Belize, Connecticut, El Salvador, Florida, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mississippi, Missouri, Nicaragua, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia
Global Distribution (Introduced)
EUROPE: Belgium, Italy, New York, Spain
Cities worldwide
Tree inventories One of the most common urban trees worldwide. In 169 inventories.
OCEANIA: Australia, New Zealand.
AMERICAS: Argentina (Buenos Aires), Brazil, Canada (Montreal, Quebec city, Toronto, Vancouver), Chile (Santiago), Colombia (Bogotá), Mexico
USA: Arlington, Augusta, Austin, Berkeley, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Columbus, Delaware, Denver, Detroit, New Orleans, New York, Newport, Oklahoma city, Palo Alto, Pasadena, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Richmond, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Seattle, Spokane, Tampa, Washington).
EUROPE: Austria (Vienna), Belgium, Croatia (Zagreb), Denmark (Copenhagen), France (Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Paris), Germany (Frankfurt, Hamburg), Hungary (Budapest), Ireland, Italy (Bologna, Florence, Pavia, Turin), Netherlands, Portugal (Lisbon), Spain (Barcelona, Cáceres, Santa Cruz, Valencia), UK (Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, London), Sweden (Malmö), Switzerland (Basel, Bern, Geneva, Zurich),
AFRICA: South Africa (Pretoria)
ASIA: Japan (Tokyo), Turkey (Trabzon).
Liquidambar styraciflua
Altingiaceae
REFERENCES
PROJECTS
ARDEM PROJECT, INRAE
Ducatillion Catherine and Delorme, Sarah. 2022. ARbres de Demain En Méditerranée (ARDEM) projet brochure. Villa de Thuret, INRAE. 2022.
https://jardin-thuret.hub.inrae.fr/content/download/6148/49641?version=1
INRAE. |Rédaction by Rose-marie Bugeaud. “Arbres de demain - Fiches espèces.” Jardin Botanique Villa Thuret. Created on December 23, 2022. Modified on March 25, 2024.
https://jardin-thuret.hub.inrae.fr/actualites/presentation-des-fiches-especes
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UFEI, Urban Forest Ecosystem Institute. California State Polytechnic University.
Best Trees for Southern California’s Climate Future. Select Tree, a Tree Selection Guide. Updated 2024.
https://selectree.calpoly.edu/list/67 (BEST LARGE TREES FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S CLIMATE FUTURE)
https://selectree.calpoly.edu/tree-detail/741 (Jacaranda mimosifolia)
https://www.selectree.calpoly.edu/tree-detail/295 (Celtis australis)
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PAPERS
Maribel Carol-Aristizabal, Jérôme Dupras, Christian Messier, Rita Sousa-Silva. 2024. “Which Tree Species Best Withstand Urban Stressors? Ask the Experts”. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF) Jan 2024, 50 (1) 57-75.
https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.2023.026
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BOOKS
Sjöman, Henrik, and Anderson, Arit 2023. The Essential Tree Selection Guide: For Climate Resilience, Carbon Storage, Species Diversity and Other Ecosystem Benefits. London: Filbert Press
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ARTICLES
Ferrini, Francesco. 2023. “The right tree in the right place.” Interview by Maurizio Lapponi. FLORACULTURE INTERNATIONAL. International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH). October 1, 2023.
https://aiph.org/floraculture/news/the-right-tree-in-the-right-place/
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