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).
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A row of young trees in a plant nursery.
Image Source: JSB Co. 2023. [Online] Unsplash.
https://unsplash.com/photos/a-row-of-trees-that-have-been-planted-in-the-ground-cO2TawzB-vY
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".
Image Source: Mark Fuller 2020. Erfurt, Germany. [Online] Unsplash.
https://unsplash.com/photos/city-with-high-rise-buildings-under-white-sky-during-daytime-jtbK8FYTsOw
In Erfurt and other cities of Germany, research projects are under way on tree species and varieties for the future (UBA 2023).
The garden center company Kremer has established a model of sustainable green planning (GRÜNTOPIA) at the facade of its branch in the city of Remscheid. The main point at display is a selection of 100 climate tree species (Gartencenter Kremer. Remscheid n.d.).
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Image Source: Faruk TokluoÄŸlu 2025. Istanbul, Turkey. [Online] Unsplash.
https://unsplash.com/photos/a-garden-filled-with-lots-of-green-plants-qnl54NQXgWw
Image Source: Rainer Pauschert 2015. Remscheid, Germany. [Online] Shutterstock
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/two-country-houses-between-green-trees-313562624
Displaying a distinct category of climate resilient trees at plant nurseries or gardens centers (Kremer GRÜNTOPIA in Remscheid, Germany) is an excellent idea for raising public awareness (Dieleman 2024).
Savoy, France
Cholat pépinières
The plant nurseries of the family Cholat, with their extended diverse production (15.000 species grown in 250 acres) are providing plant material to many European landscape projects. Based on their 60-years plus experience and their own on-site research, they have readapted their plant production to the environmental constraints and climate change .
It is more than twelve years they have prepared a selection of the best species and varieties for the cities of the future. ( Thiery 2023, Fayard 2024).
On their website a brochure has been posted with a list of sixty recommended tree species and their attributes (Cholat pépinières 2023).
Image Source: Wild_er 2015. French Alpes in the area of Savoie. [Online] Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/green-grass-and-gray-rocky-mountain-under-white-cloudy-sky-during-daytime-YZqnzHGazKQ
Belgium
The General Association of Belgian Ornamental Growers AVBS has produced a list for suitable species in collaboration with Flemish tree growers.
It is to be noted that this brochure is hosted on the website of ​Green Cities Europe which is an initiative by the ENA (European Nurserystock Association) and nursery organisations in Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Sweden.
Also individual plant nurseries in Belgium are forwarding lists with suitable tree species for the future.
(Leyssens n.d., Verschoren 2018)
Image Source: Selina Bubendorfer 2021. Abdij van Park in Leuven, Belgium. [Online] Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/white-and-blue-wooden-house-near-green-trees-during-daytime-h4VxX1fjVGQ
2. Strategies for guidance of the plant nursery industry.
Florida, USA
Researchers from the University of the Florida, have over the recent years conducted a series of studies on the issue of low species diversity provided by the plant nurseries. The aim is to determine the most efficient strategies to overcome well known constraints. Like consumer demands and the many years that trees need to be grown before reaching suitable size for use.
A focus group study was conducted that incorporated professionals in all stages from production to planting trees in urban public spaces or private development projects: a) growers b) municipal tree managers and c) landscape architects.
Among the strategies that were produced in the results of the study:
- Engage in contract growing. Municipalities either create their own nurseries or enter into long-terms contracts with growers, in order to ensure the desired species.
- Incentives for the use of less common species though relaxed development criteria.
In the USA, over half of the municipalities require tree planting in new parking lots and in new developments. Accompanying landscape codes that specify size and number of species, could be modified in favor of underutilized and slow-growing species.
- Use of an interactive database to share tree species being grown, specified, or sought after.
A web application on available species could facilitate communication between growers and purchasers on the issue of species availability.
- Continue research, education, and transdisciplinary collaborations to increase tree species diversity.
In fields like testing of uncommon species for use in urban areas, attributes of salt-tolerant species etc. Development of collaborations with other scientists, like:
a) economists on predicting consumer demand
b) social scientists on public's esthetic preferences etc. (Koeser, Hilbert et al. 2025, Hilbert, Koeser, Andreu et al. 2023, Hilbert et al. 2023).
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Image Source: Getty Images For Unsplash+. 2025. Areal view of the historic town St. Augustine in Florida.[Online] Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/beautiful-aerial-view-of-the-st-augustine-the-oldest-town-in-usa-the-castle-of-san-marcos-national-monument-flagler-college-and-the-matanzas-bay-dSd1BcGsOq4
Province of Pistoia, Italy
The renown professor of Arboriculture and Urban Forestry, Francesco Ferrini is also the president of the Nursery Production District of Pistoia. A faculty member at the University of Florence, he is a public speaker on the issues of the value of trees value and the critical need for adaptation of urban green spaces to climate change.
His background is favorable to linking university, public administration and nursery stock industry. The effective trilateral collaboration and dialogue should address issues such as the shortage of tree production in European nurseries. Measures and incentives that will lead plant production to the quantities, species, varieties that are more suited to conditions of specific sites. (Ferrini 2023, Ferrini 2025).
Image Source: Piotr Dutko 2021. Roofs of the Pistoia in Tuscany, Italy [Online] Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/a-view-of-a-city-with-mountains-in-the-background-PUd2JMH-JYE
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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General Association of Belgian Ornamental Growers AVBS
Dieleman, Patrick. 2024
Kiest de consument voor duurzaamheid?
https://www.avbs.be/actualiteit/kiest-de-consument-voor-duurzaamheid
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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Cholat pépinières. 2023.
SÉLECTION 60 ARBRES D’AVENIR
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Green Cities Europe
Verschoren Lucien. 2018.
MEER BOMEN EN MEER BOOMSOORTEN VOOR ONS KLIMAA
https://thegreencities.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Klimaatbomen.pdf
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MAGAZINE ARTICLES
Le Lien Horticole.
Thiery, Claude. 2023.
Quels arbres cultiver demain ?
(2023, October 19).
https://www.lienhorticole.fr/en-direct/article/846434/quels-arbres-cultiver-demain
La Vie Nouvelle.
Fayard, Élodie. 2024.
Les pépinières Cholat cultivent les arbres de demain
https://www.la-vie-nouvelle.fr/infos/economie/les-pepinieres-cholat-cultivent-les-arbres-de-demain/
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Ecopedia. (eco-friendly encyclopedia)
Leyssens Vito. n.d.
Klimaatbomen: het hangt in de lucht.
https://www.ecopedia.be/boomloket/kimaatbomen-het-hangt-de-lucht
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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Umweltbundesamt UBA (2023)
Erfurter Stadtgrün im Klimawandel.
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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
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PRIVATE COMPANIES
Gartencenter Kremer. Die Naturtalente | Remscheid n.d.
https://kremer-naturtalente.de/standorte/remscheid-gruentopia