Research in Context
Plant Nurseries
Initiatives in the private sector
The engagement of the plant nurseries with current research efforts is vital. Professionals at the nurseries with their every day care of plants, attain experience on various species performance and responses to the environment. Their expertise in the measures necessary for plant material production is particularly important as the reproduction of some species is difficult. The procurement of the necessary quantities for the species (or ecotypes) that will be chosen as the most promising and suitable will ensure the long term success of tree planting projects. (Ferrini 2023, Ferrini 2025, Lamant 2019).
1. Active role in testing, producing and promoting climate-ready species.
Germany
"The tree nurseries in the Association BdB cultivate climate trees that are very well adapted to the challenges of the future. The tree nurseries work closely with research, which is far from reaching its final point. Rather, new tree species and tree varieties are constantly being tried out and the research network is also being consistently expanded. This topic is currently being worked on in Veitshöchheim, Ellerhoop, Erfurt, Quedlinburg, Stuttgart-Hohenheim and Berlin, among others. There can sometimes be 20 years between a very first test and the final recommendation that a tree is actually suitable as a tree of the future. This very lengthy process shows how proactively tree nurseries are already cultivating their trees in order to continue to meet the need for climate-friendly trees."
In many German cities, biodiversity is now severely limited. Often just three to five tree species represent more than 50% of a city tree population." (BdB n.d.)
Therefore in order to promote diversification, BdB has produced two freely available guides on choosing the right tree species for the future. One volume is about trees for the garden "Zukunftsbäume für den Garten" and the other volume specializes on tree species for the harder urban environment, "Zukunftsbäume für die Stadt".
2. Strategies for guidance of the plant nursery industry.
(Koeser, Hilbert et al. 2025, Hilbert, Koeser, Andreu et al. 2023, Hilbert et al. 2023).
REFERENCES
ASSOCIATIONS
Association Internationale des Producteurs de l’Horticulture (AIPH)
Ferrini, Francesco. 2023.
“The right tree in the right place.” Interview by Maurizio Lapponi.
FLORACULTURE INTERNATIONAL.
https://aiph.org/floraculture/news/the-right-tree-in-the-right-place/
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Bund deutscher Baumschulen e.V. (n.d.).
Association of German Tree Nurseries
Zukunftsbäume
https://www.gruen-ist-leben.de/themen-produkte/oeffentliches-gruen/zukunftsbaeume/
BROCHURES
Bund deutscher Baumschulen e.V. (n.d.).
​Zukunftsbäume für die Stadt
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MAGAZINE ARTICLES
Le Lien Horticole.
Thiery, C. 2023.
Quels arbres cultiver demain ?
(2023, October 19).
https://www.lienhorticole.fr/en-direct/article/846434/quels-arbres-cultiver-demain
ORGANIZATIONS
Accademia Dei Georgofili
Ferrini, Francesco. 2025.
Alberi per il futuro: il ruolo dei vivai per le sfide del cambiamento climatico.
International Oak Society
Lamant Thierry. 2019.
Choosing Tomorrow’s Urban Trees for France.
International Oaks No. 30: 253–260. Published May 2019.
https://www.internationaloaksociety.org/content/choosing-tomorrow’s-urban-trees-france
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PAPERS AND TECHNICAL REPORTS
Koeser, Andrew & Hilbert, Deborah & Locke, Dexter & Riley, Christopher & Sonti, Nancy. (2025). Addressing Regional Tree Supply Challenges and Opportunities - A Rapid Assessment. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.12520.79361.
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Hilbert, Deborah , Koeser, Andrew, Andreu, M.G. et al. 2023.
Conceptualizing the human drivers of low tree diversity in planted urban landscapes. Ambio 52, 1532–1542 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01876-7
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Hilbert, Deborah & Koeser, Andrew & Andreu, Michael & Clarke, Mysha & Hansen, Gail & Roman, Lara & Thetford, Mack. (2023).
Expanding Urban Tree Species Diversity in Florida (USA): Challenges and Opportunities for Practitioners. Society and Natural Resources.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08941920.2023.2175285