Using selected Habitat European Directive species as garden plants: challenges and opportunities

The Life+ SEEDFORCE project aims at improving the conservation status of 29 Annex II Habitat European Directive plant species, reported in bad conditions in the 2013-2018 report on the trends of habitats and species according to art. 17 of the Directive. The project objectives include identifying and removing threats to the survival of these species in their native range, assessing their genetic makeup, model their ecological niche and massively propagate them to bridge the isolation and re- establish gene flow between isolated population. Additionally, the project strives to raise awareness on a selection of the species with ornamental and/or garden value and to engage the public in their active conservation which will be furthermore tested for performance in suitable garden setting, including dry Mediterranean gardens. Selected species include Cytisus aeolicus Guss., Primula palinuri Petagna, Valeriana amazonum (Fridl. & A.Raynal) Christenh. & Byng, Dracocephalum austriacum L., Eryngium alpinum L.] and wet boggy gardens [Woodwardia radicans (L.) Sm., Adenophora liliifolia (L.) A.DC., Kosteletzkya pentacarpos (L.) Ledeb.]. The project can therefore represent an example of a bridge linking the conservation of natural biodiversity and the production sector of ornamental plants.