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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Advances in Quality Regulation and Improvement of Ornamental Plants
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Advances in Quality Regulation and Improvement of Ornamental Plants

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Floriculture, Nursery and Landscape, and Turf".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2026 | Viewed by 3854

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ling Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Landscape Architecture, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Interests: propagation; stress resistance; regulatory mechanism of ornamental traits; breeding of ornamental plants
Prof. Dr. Hongmei Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education Ministry and Liaoning Province, College of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Interests: ornamental plants; molecular breeding; genomics and genetics; cultivation techniques
Prof. Dr. Xiaopeng Fu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Key Laboratory for Gerplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticulture Crops, College of Horticulture & Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agriculture University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: ornamental plants; molecular breeding; genomics and genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the field of horticulture and plant science, ornamental plants have been receiving increasing attention due to their diverse morphological structures, vibrant color displays, and significant ecological and economic value. In recent years, the rapid advancement of biotechnology, particularly in quality regulation and improvement, has ushered in a new era of research on ornamental plants.

Ornamental plants include a wide range of species with high ornamental value, such as roses, lilies, chrysanthemums, orchids, azaleas, and irises. They are widely used in landscape greening, the cut flower industry, and home gardening. These plants are highly valued for their rich floral forms, diverse colors, rich floral fragrance, unique growth habits, and complex physiological and biochemical characteristics. Beyond their substantial economic value, ornamental plants play an irreplaceable role in ecological restoration and the enhancement of living environments. Moreover, traits such as plant height, leaf shape, leaf color, and branching patterns—collectively referred to as plant architecture—are also key components of their ornamental value and significantly influence overall plant health and adaptability.

This Special Issue aims to compile the latest research advances in plant morphology, quality regulation, and the improvement of ornamental plants and flowers. Topics may include (but are not limited to) floral development mechanisms, pigment, fragrance and metabolism regulation, the molecular basis of stress resistance, the optimization of in vitro rapid propagation techniques, photosynthetic efficiency, secondary metabolite accumulation, hormonal regulation networks, signal transduction pathways, the genetic control of plant architecture, and breeding. The goal is to promote the deep integration of basic research and industrial applications in this field.

We invite researchers worldwide to submit high-quality original research articles or review papers to the upcoming Special Issue titled "Advances in Quality Regulation and Improvement of Ornamental Plants" in the journal Horticulturae.

Prof. Dr. Ling Wang
Prof. Dr. Hongmei Sun
Prof. Dr. Xiaopeng Fu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gene function
  • flower development
  • flower color
  • plant scent
  • leaf morphology
  • plant architecture
  • stress tolerance
  • organ regeneration
  • secondary metabolites
  • hormonal regulation
  • signal transduction
  • multi-omics integration (transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics)
  • germplasm conservation and utilization
  • ornamental traits improvement of plants

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 7834 KB  
Article
Improving Soil Health in Bamboo Forests Through the Cultivation of Stropharia rugosoannulata on Bamboo Residues
by Xin Wang, Dongchen Li, Xiaocao Liu, Baoxi Wang, Xianhao Cheng, Wei Zhang and Jinzhong Xie
Horticulturae 2026, 12(3), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12030286 - 27 Feb 2026
Viewed by 498
Abstract
Utilizing bamboo residues for the cultivation of Stropharia rugosoannulata is an ecological practice grounded in the concept of agricultural waste recycling, aiming to improve soil microecology and enhance nutrient cycling in bamboo forests. However, a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of the ecological effects [...] Read more.
Utilizing bamboo residues for the cultivation of Stropharia rugosoannulata is an ecological practice grounded in the concept of agricultural waste recycling, aiming to improve soil microecology and enhance nutrient cycling in bamboo forests. However, a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of the ecological effects of using bamboo residues as cultivation substrates is lacking. To evaluate soil responses following the cultivation of S. rugosoannulata, a field experiment was conducted using bamboo residues pre-fermented with 4% rapeseed cake. The results showed that cultivating S. rugosoannulata with rapeseed cake-fermented bamboo residues significantly enhanced soil nutrient levels and enzyme activities. Notable increases were observed in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, and total potassium, as well as in the activities of sucrase, urease, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and neutral protease. Both bacterial and fungal α-diversity were significantly enhanced, and substantial shifts occurred in the community structure and composition of soil microbiota. Metabolomic analysis revealed that significantly differential metabolites were primarily enriched in five key pathways, including purine metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism, biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites, and starch and sucrose metabolism. Correlation analyses further revealed that specific microbial taxa (four bacterial genera and seven fungal genera) exhibited strong correlations with soil nutrient indicators, whereas another group of taxa (six bacterial phyla and eight fungal genera) was closely linked to soil enzyme activities. Furthermore, bacterial communities were significantly correlated with metabolite variations after substrate addition. Specifically, Firmicutes showed strong positive correlations with multiple metabolites, whereas Planctomycetes exhibited negative correlations with some of the same metabolites, indicating potential competitive interactions. Based on these findings, this study proposes a preliminary “Microbe–Enzyme–Metabolite–Nutrient” coupling cycle, driven by the synergistic interplay among bamboo residues, hypha–microbiome complex, soil enzymes, and functional metabolites. This mechanism provides a scientific explanation for the soil health improvements observed during S. rugosoannulata cultivation and offers theoretical support for the efficient utilization of bamboo waste and maintenance of forest ecosystem stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Quality Regulation and Improvement of Ornamental Plants)
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13 pages, 32055 KB  
Article
IlMYB86, an R2R3-Type MYB Transcription Factor from Iris laevigata Regulates Lignin Biosynthesis and Enhances Photosynthetic Capacity
by Lei Wang, Gongfa Shi, Yichang Yang, Da Hong, Lei Yan and Ling Wang
Horticulturae 2025, 11(12), 1514; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11121514 - 15 Dec 2025
Viewed by 573
Abstract
Stem strength significantly influences ornamental plant output, ornamental value, and commodity prices. Lignin is a crucial component that confers mechanical strength to plant stems. In this study, an R2R3-type MYB transcription factor related to lignin synthesis was identified in Iris laevigata and named [...] Read more.
Stem strength significantly influences ornamental plant output, ornamental value, and commodity prices. Lignin is a crucial component that confers mechanical strength to plant stems. In this study, an R2R3-type MYB transcription factor related to lignin synthesis was identified in Iris laevigata and named IlMYB86. The IlMYB86 protein is localized solely in the nucleus and functions as a transcriptional activator. Genetic transformation of IlMYB86 in tobacco resulted in taller plants with thicker stem diameter and increased stem pressure. In addition, the lignin content of the transgenic IlMYB86 tobacco plants increased, which was accompanied by the upregulation of 4CL and HCT, two key genes involved in lignin synthesis. Furthermore, IlMYB86 enhanced the photosynthetic capacity of transgenic tobacco by increasing the chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, and transpiration rate. This study provides insight into the regulation of lignin biosynthesis, which could contribute to the molecular genetic engineering and breeding of ornamental plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Quality Regulation and Improvement of Ornamental Plants)
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Review

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22 pages, 1166 KB  
Review
Progress in Tissue Culture Techniques of Herbaceous Peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.): A Narrative Review
by Rouhan Qian, Xiaohua Shi, Xiaohui Wen, Jianghua Zhou, Keke Li, Kaiyuan Zhu and Huichun Liu
Horticulturae 2026, 12(5), 543; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12050543 - 29 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1173
Abstract
Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (herbaceous peony) is a high-value ornamental and medicinal plant in China with considerable market potential. However, conventional propagation methods are limited by low multiplication rates and long production cycles, making it difficult to meet the demand for large-scale planting materials. [...] Read more.
Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (herbaceous peony) is a high-value ornamental and medicinal plant in China with considerable market potential. However, conventional propagation methods are limited by low multiplication rates and long production cycles, making it difficult to meet the demand for large-scale planting materials. As a key approach for rapid propagation, tissue culture techniques for P. lactiflora have achieved significant progress in recent years. This review summarizes advances in the tissue culture system for P. lactiflora over the past decade, focusing on major in vitro regeneration pathways (organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis) and crucial technical stages, including explant selection and culture environment optimization. Distinct from previous reviews that only introduce partial technical aspects of P. lactiflora tissue culture, this review comprehensively outlines the overall tissue culture system, analyses the current species-specific bottlenecks (browning, vitrification, rooting and acclimatization) with their underlying causes and proposes targeted strategies. Furthermore, future development trends are prospected by integrating emerging research directions, including molecular regulatory mechanisms and eco-adaptive breeding. This review aims to provide a theoretical foundation and technical support for obtaining propagule for commercial plantations and achieving multi-functional utilization of P. lactiflora. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Quality Regulation and Improvement of Ornamental Plants)
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24 pages, 3941 KB  
Review
Advances and Perspectives in Comprehensive Assessment of Medicinal–Ornamental Multifunctional Plants
by Xiaowen Feng, Lijie Wen, Yunqing Cui, Xueming Wang, Ziming Ren, Yihan Ye, Yiping Xia and Danqing Li
Horticulturae 2025, 11(12), 1454; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11121454 - 1 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1089
Abstract
China is rich in medicinal–ornamental plants with multifunctional uses, making a significant contribution to global landscaping, environmental beautification, and the health industry. In the post-pandemic era, there is an increasing focus on improving living environments and enhancing immune health, leading to a growing [...] Read more.
China is rich in medicinal–ornamental plants with multifunctional uses, making a significant contribution to global landscaping, environmental beautification, and the health industry. In the post-pandemic era, there is an increasing focus on improving living environments and enhancing immune health, leading to a growing demand for the development and utilization of these plant resources. Resource evaluation is fundamental to their widespread application in landscaping, commercial production, germplasm innovation, and sustainable utilization. However, current research is limited, and there is an absence of a comprehensive evaluation system. The evaluation of these plants, particularly endangered wild species, is vital for biodiversity conservation, rational resource utilization, and breeding. This study proposes a resource evaluation model based on three key aspects: ecological adaptability, medicinal value, and ornamental value. It also reviews commonly employed research methods, such as the scoring method, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and fuzzy mathematics. Looking forward, we highlight the importance of establishing fundamental evaluation indicators, integrating new technologies, leveraging big data, and strengthening evaluations for germplasm innovation and the protection of these multifunctional medicinal–ornamental plant resources in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Quality Regulation and Improvement of Ornamental Plants)
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