Beyond Beauty: Germplasm, Propagation and Resilience of Ornamental Plants as Nature-Based Solutions

Ornamental plants have long been valued for their beauty and cultural significance, yet their role extends well beyond aesthetics. Growing scientific evidence shows that ornamental plantings act as nature-based solutions, contributing to microclimate regulation, air and water quality, soil stabilisation and urban biodiversity, and to healthier living environments. Realising these benefits at scale depends on something rarely examined: the plant material itself. Ornamental taxa are still selected almost exclusively for appearance, the diversity held in collections and wild relatives remains poorly characterised, and many species with promising functional traits cannot yet be propagated reliably, acclimatised successfully, or verified as true-to-type. Without well-characterised, faithfully multiplied and resilient plant material, functional plantings cannot be delivered dependably in gardens, streetscapes, parks, green roofs or interiors. The biological and biotechnological foundations of ornamental plant supply therefore deserve attention in their own right.

This Research Topic aims to build the biological and biotechnological evidence base that underpins the use of ornamental plants as nature-based solutions. We seek contributions that characterise the genetic diversity held in ornamental germplasm, cultivated collections and wild relatives, and that identify material combining ornamental value with functional performance. We are equally interested in propagation science: in vitro establishment and multiplication, culture-media optimisation, rooting and ex vitro acclimatisation, and the transition from laboratory protocol to nursery practice for species that remain difficult to propagate. Verification of genetic fidelity and cultivar identity through molecular-marker approaches is a central concern, as is the resilience of ornamental plant material under the abiotic constraints of urban and managed habitats, including compaction, salinity, drought, heat, shade, heavy metals and emerging contaminants. By connecting germplasm, propagation and resilience, the collection seeks to stimulate collaboration between molecular geneticists, biotechnologists and horticultural scientists, and to supply the material foundation on which functional ornamental plantings depend.

We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Perspectives and Methods addressing, but not limited to:

· Genetic diversity, cultivar identification and germplasm conservation in ornamental taxa, including wild and endangered relatives, using DNA-marker and genomic approaches

· Micropropagation and in vitro culture of ornamental and amenity species: establishment, multiplication, rooting, media and gelling-agent optimisation

· Ex vitro acclimatisation and the transfer of laboratory protocols to commercial nursery practice

· Assessment of genetic fidelity and somaclonal variation in micropropagated ornamental plant material

· Physiological and molecular resilience of ornamental plants to abiotic constraints of urban and managed habitats, including compaction, salinity, drought, heat, shade, heavy metals, nanoparticles and nanoplastics

· Secondary metabolites and pigment chemistry underlying ornamental value and plant-side contributions to indoor and outdoor environmental quality

· Selection and breeding strategies for ornamental material combining aesthetic value with functional performance

· Phenotyping, screening and quality-assessment methods for functional ornamental plant material

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We welcome contributions from researchers across the field, and we are glad to support you as you prepare your submission. If you would like early feedback on whether your planned manuscript fits the scope of this Research Topic, please write to us at plantscience@frontiersin.org before submitting. A quick check at this stage helps confirm your work is a strong fit and can save you time later in the process.
To take part, click “Participate in this topic” at the top right of this page, then confirm through the “Participate” link in the follow-up email. This lets us know to expect your contribution, keeps you informed of key deadlines, and gives you access to resources that guide you through submission. We would also be glad to talk with you about possible routes for support with the Article Processing Charge (APC).We look forward to your participation and to building a vibrant, cohesive Research Topic together.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: ornamental plants, nature-based solutions, germplasm characterization, molecular markers, micropropagation, genetic fidelity, ex vitro acclimatization, abiotic stress resilience

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.