Can pedoclimatic needs be a driver for ornamental plant selection in Mediterranean area?

The choice of suitable plant species represents a key point in the design of green spaces, especially in the environments where abiotic stresses are frequent, such as the areas of the Mediterranean Basin. In this frame, the aim of this work was to understand if, and to what extent, the definition of soil and climatic plant requirements could help in the choice of plant species suitable for this climatic area. In particular, on 150 plant species, which had a frequency of more than 10% in historical and/or traditional Sicilian gardens, we adopted specific codes to indicate their pedoclimatic requirements. The suitability of the plant species was confirmed by the analytical determination of the soil and climatic requirements and especially of the traits most associated with a positive response to sub-optimal conditions. The categorization of these requirements has allowed us to analyse their frequency. The analysis of the pedoclimatic requirement frequencies showed a biological frame dominated by wood species, often rather hardy, able to adapt to the abiotic conditions and stresses, in particular drought stress, typical of the Mediterranean environment.