Ornamental Plants and Urban Gardening (3rd Edition)

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural Science and Ornamental Plants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 144

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Guest Editor
Ornamental Plant and Green System Management Research Group, Institute of Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Garden Art, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2100 Gödöllő, Hungary
Interests: dendrology; ornamental plant breeding; plant genetics; urbanization; climate change; sustainability; abiotic stress
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Urban green spaces aid the physical and mental health of the urban population. Furthermore, urban plant applications can act to tackle the effects of climate change and urbanization. This is one of the biggest challenges facing urban ornamental plants today. The use of plants in settlements and the role and efficiency of plants in ecosystem services, as well as the physiological and social expectations for the plants used, provide endless opportunities for research.

As part of a dynamically changing new research area that requires close cooperation between the fields of landscape architecture and plant sciences, the sustainability of urban green areas requires the use of appropriate plant species that can fit into complex ecological systems and advanced maintenance technology for the design and operation of livable cities.

In order to achieve these goals, general plant physiology and stress physiology research is necessary, especially regarding drought tolerance and environmental pollution, which is very common in urban areas; the use of traditional and molecular plant breeding methods is also an essential topic that requires discussion.

The interactions of artificial living communities in cities and the interactions between plants, plants and microorganisms, and plants and animals is an essential part of sustainability. Creating vital urban areas and increasing their biodiversity is also necessary for sustainability. The monitoring and research of settlement communities as ecological systems draws attention to climate change effects and helps to mitigate them to a great extent. The sustainability and economic operation of established urban green space systems can be made possible by applying innovative technologies.

This Special Issue aims to draw attention to this wide-ranging multidisciplinary research area and offer solutions for modern urban green space management.

Dr. László Orlóci
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • ornamental plants
  • urban green space
  • climate change

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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25 pages, 1495 KB  
Systematic Review
Greening African Cities for Sustainability: A Systematic Review of Urban Gardening’s Role in Biodiversity and Socio-Economic Resilience
by Philisiwe Felicity Mhlanga, Niké Susan Wesch, Moteng Elizabeth Moseri, Frank Harald Neumann and Nomali Ziphorah Ngobese
Plants 2025, 14(20), 3187; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14203187 - 17 Oct 2025
Abstract
Urban gardening, particularly through food-producing green spaces, is increasingly recognized as a key strategy for addressing the complex challenges of climate change, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, and social inequity in African cities. This systematic review synthesizes evidence from 47 peer-reviewed studies across sub-Saharan [...] Read more.
Urban gardening, particularly through food-producing green spaces, is increasingly recognized as a key strategy for addressing the complex challenges of climate change, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, and social inequity in African cities. This systematic review synthesizes evidence from 47 peer-reviewed studies across sub-Saharan Africa between 2000–2025 to analyze how urban home gardens, rooftop farms, and agroforestry systems contribute to sustainable urban development. The protocol follows PRISMA guidelines and focuses on (i) plant species selection for ecological resilience, (ii) integration of modern technologies in urban gardens, and (iii) socio-economic benefits to communities. The findings emphasize the ecological multifunctionality of urban gardens, which support services such as pollination, soil fertility, and microclimate regulation. Biodiversity services are shaped by both ecological and socio-economic factors, highlighting the importance of mechanisms such as polyculture, shared labour and management of urban gardens, pollinator activity and socio-economic status, reflected in sub-Saharan urban gardens. Socioeconomically, urban gardening plays a crucial role in enhancing household food security, income generation, and psychosocial resilience, particularly benefiting women and low-income communities. However, barriers exist, including insecure land tenure, water scarcity, weak technical support, and limited policy integration. Although technologies such as climate-smart practices and digital tools for irrigation are emerging, their adoption remains uneven. Research gaps include regional underrepresentation, a lack of longitudinal data, and limited focus on governance and gender dynamics. To unlock urban gardening’s full potential, future research and policy must adopt participatory, equity-driven approaches that bridge ecological knowledge with socio-political realities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ornamental Plants and Urban Gardening (3rd Edition))
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