The biodiversity of traditional Sicilian green areas

Product innovation represents a key element of ornamental plant production because it can activate the market, very sensitive to “novelties”. Among product innovation, an interesting role could be played by the species present in neglected or “traditional” green areas, often only marginally present in current nursery production. In this context, the objective of the study was to describe and characterize the ornamental species found in traditional green spaces of Sicily. A survey was carried out on the species, often cultivated in pots, present in historical or historicized green areas and in minimal contexts (courtyards, balconies). In these contests the climatic and socio-economic conditions, historical events, and ethno-anthropological traditions contributed to determine an articulated plant biodiversity. The survey identified a list of over 480 taxa belonging to 64 different botanical families, among them Cactaceae, Crassulaceae and Compositae were the botanical families with higher number of taxa. Thanking to their tolerance to abiotic stresses (in particular to drought), most of these genotypes are suitable for their use in sustainable landscaping. In order to identify those taxa which are now marginally or not produced at all, the list was also compared with the catalogues of commercial nurseries. As a result, 104 genera and/or species were identified not being commercially propagated; plant material, of these taxa, was collected and propagated to constitute a catalogue field, functional to their preliminary characterization and definition of cultivation protocols.