I interview
Think Local The use of native plant species is on the rise in the UAE but there is still room for improvement Bruce Pedersen
Technical Manager - Landscape Sharjah Investment and Development Authority By way of some background; as a young horticulturist in South Africa in the mid 1980’s indigenous/ native plants were considered fringe landscape materials; most landscapers didn’t know them, relate to them, know how to use them, or have much interest in using them. Apart from a small dedicated group of nursery men, very few nurseries were even interested in propagating indigenous plants. Fast forward a few years, extended periods of drought, growing demands on water resources and increasing mandated water restrictions started to drive the industry away from traditional “lush” landscape planting. Local governments and municipalities started to seriously evaluate and legislate changes for plant materials before they were included in the urban landscape. However, one of the pivotal movers to a new landscaping approach was the amount of information that was publicly disseminated through the media
Ziziphus spina-christi is a fruiting naturalised tree
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Haloxylon sp. in native environment
and environmental agencies. An informed public started to create a demand for native plants which previously did not exist, and remove older, thirsty, and invasive species. This gave rise to initiatives such as the “Waterwise” program, which does not specifically remove all non-native plant species from the planting palette, but allowed for the integration of selected non-native species with low-water consumption together with an expanded native palette. These challenges and changes shook up the landscaping and nursery industries; leading to the development (or selection) of new plant materials, rejuvenation and renovation of old landscapes, innovations in the usage of hardscape materials as well as the specialisation by landscapers, designers and irrigation professionals. The Australian landscape industry was faced with and underwent the same metamorphic processes at approximately the same time.
