Climate change in the city

Climate change and the city – Challenges for trees and shrubs

The Lorenz von Ehren nursery has been dealing with the topic of climate change for over ten years. After all, it has been shown that trees and shrubs react very sensitively to changing living conditions, be this through new pests that migrate with the new climate or through the climate itself.

“We recommend a mix of native and foreign woody plants, as the latter in particular cope much better with extreme climatic conditions (drought, heat, heavy rain events, strong wind events, etc.).“

Bernhard von Ehren, managing partner

The city as a location

Native plants often can no longer cope with being in the city because the city is too hot. For example, urban greenery will have to be adapted to current conditions in the coming years. Bernhard von Ehren, managing partner of the Lorenz von Ehren nursery, recommends a mix of native and non-native trees, as the latter in particular cope much better with extreme climatic conditions (drought, heat, heavy rain events, strong wind events, etc.), for example the sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) from North America or the Persian ironwood tree (Parrotia persica) from the Middle East.

When planting in the city, e.g. Stuttgart, , attention should be paid to practicability and less to ideology. In view of climatic changes, it should also be possible to take more account of non-native trees in urban greenery. These shrubs not only look good, they also cope better with the changed ambient conditions in the cities.
The function of the non-native woody plants as insect pasture and bird feeding shrubs is barely an issue. On the contrary, for the local fauna this makes no difference at all.

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