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Albizia julibrissin (mimosa tree) and Sophora japonica (Japanese pagoda tree) are drought-tolerant landscape plants; however, salinity responses of these two species are not well documented. The objective of this study was to investigate the morphological and physiological responses of these two species to three salinity levels in greenhouse conditions. Two studies were conducted in the summer/early fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021. In 2020, uniform plants were irrigated weekly for the first 2 weeks and every other day for the following 3 weeks with a nutrient solution at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.2 dS·m⁻¹ as a control or saline solution at ECs of 5.0 or 10.0 dS·m⁻¹. In 2021, plants were irrigated weekly for 8 weeks with the same treatment solutions as described previously. Albizia julibrissin and S. japonica survived in both experiments with minimal foliar salt damage (leaf burn or necrosis). Irrigation water at ECs of 5.0 and 10.0 dS·m⁻¹ reduced plant height and dry weight (DW) of both species. In the fall experiment, A. julibrissin irrigated with a saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m⁻¹ had the highest reduction in plant height (61%) compared with the control. Albizia julibrissin and S. japonica irrigated with a saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m⁻¹ had 52% and 47% reductions in shoot DW compared with the control, respectively. In the spring experiment, compared with the control, there were 72% and 45% reductions in height of A. julibrissin and S. japonica, respectively, when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m⁻¹. In addition, compared with the control, A. julibrissin and S. japonica had 58% and 64% reductions in shoot DW, respectively, when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m⁻¹. Increasing salinity levels in the irrigation water also reduced leaf greenness [Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD)], leaf net photosynthesis rate (P_n), stomatal conductance (g _S), and transpiration rate (E) of both species. Furthermore, sodium (Na⁺) and chloride (Cl⁻) concentrations in leaves were affected by elevated salinity levels in the irrigation water. Visual score, P_n, g _S, and E negatively correlated to Na⁺ and Cl⁻ concentrations in leaves. But Cl⁻ accumulation had more impact on the growth of A. julibrissin and S. japonica. In summary, both species were tolerant to saline solution irrigation up to 5.0 dS⋅m⁻¹ and moderately tolerant to saline solution irrigation up to 10.0 dS⋅m⁻¹.

Penstemons are a diverse group of flowering plants valued for their ability to enhance the visual appearance of urban landscapes. Penstemon barbatus (Cav.) Roth ‘Novapenblu’ (rock candy blue^® penstemon) and Penstemon strictus Benth ‘Rocky Mountain’ (rocky mountain beardtongue) are widely used in landscapes, but their tolerance to soil salinity remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of salinity levels at electrical conductivities (ECs) of 1.0 (nutrient solution), 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 dS⋅m⁻¹ on two penstemons (P. barbatus and P. strictus). Penstemons were irrigated with nutrient or saline solution for 8 weeks and various growth and physiological data were recorded before harvest. Salinity stress degraded the visual quality of penstemon species and led to a reduction in the growth rate and biomass production. Leaf burn and necrosis were observed in penstemons because of salinity stress. The visual score of P. barbatus and P. strictus decreased with increasing EC levels in the saline solution. When irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 7.5 dS⋅m⁻¹, Penstemon barbatus and P. strictus had severe-to-moderate foliar salt damage with average visual scores of 1.7 and 2.5, respectively (0 = dead plant; 5 = excellent plant without any foliar damage). The two penstemon species had severe foliar salt damage or were dead when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS⋅m⁻¹. There were 87% and 92% decreases in the leaf area of P. barbatus and P. strictus, respectively, when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS⋅m⁻¹ compared with those in the control. Although not statistically significant, there were 7% to 18% decreases in shoot dry weight of P. barbatus when irrigated with saline solutions at ECs of 2.5 to 10.0 dS⋅m⁻¹ compared with control. However, P. strictus displayed declines of 13% to 31% in shoot dry weight as the salinity levels of the irrigation solution increased. As the salinity levels increased, the net photosynthetic rate (P_n), stomatal conductance (g_s ), and transpiration (E) rates decreased. Furthermore, sodium (Na⁺) and chloride (Cl⁻) contents of P. barbatus and P. strictus increased with the increase in salinity levels of the treatment solution. Consequently, P. barbatus and P. strictus demonstrated sensitivity to salinity stress at ECs of 7.5 and 10.0 dS⋅m⁻¹. This study provides important insights for their effective utilization in landscaping practices within saline-prone areas.

Native plants are of great value in landscape maintenance. Despite their importance in the landscape, the salt tolerance of most native plants has received little attention. The present research was designed to assess morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses of four Utah-native plants [Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick), Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl-leaf mountain mahogany), Cercocarpus montanus ‘Coy’ (alder-leaf mountain mahogany), and Shepherdia ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ (hybrid buffaloberry)] at different salinity levels. Each species was irrigated with a nutrient solution at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.2 dS·m⁻¹ (control) or saline solutions at ECs of 5.0 or 10.0 dS·m⁻¹ for 8 weeks. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with 10 replications. At 8 weeks after the initiation of the experiment, A. uva-ursi and C. montanus ‘Coy’ had slight foliar salt damage with an average visual score of 3.7 (0 = dead, 5 = excellent with no sign of foliar salt damage) when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 5.0 dS·m⁻¹ and were dead at an EC of 10.0 dS·m⁻¹. Similarly, C. ledifolius had an average visual score of 3.2 when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m⁻¹. However, almost no foliar salt damage was observed on S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ during the experimental period. In addition, the shoot dry weight of all species was reduced with elevated salinity levels in the irrigation water. Salinity stress also reduced gas exchange rates of plants and affected their mineral content. Proline accumulated in the leaves of native plants but was species-dependent. In conclusion, S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ was tolerant to salinity stress followed by C. ledifolius; A. uva-ursi and C. montanus ‘Coy’ were sensitive to salinity stress.

Salt tolerance of seven Texas Superstar^® perennials [Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii (Turk’s cap), Phlox paniculata ‘John Fanick’ (‘John Fanick’ phlox), Phlox paniculata ‘Texas Pink’ (‘Texas Pink’ phlox), Ruellia brittoniana ‘Katie Blue’ (‘Katie Blue’ ruellia), Salvia farinacea ‘Henry Duelberg’ (‘Henry Duelberg’ salvia), Salvia leucantha (mexican bush sage), and Verbena ×hybrida ‘Blue Princess’ (‘Blue Princess’ verbena)] was evaluated in a greenhouse experiment. Plants were irrigated with a nutrient solution at electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.1 dS·m⁻¹ (control) or a salt solution at EC of 5.0 or 10.0 dS·m⁻¹ (EC 5 or EC 10) for 8 weeks. ‘John Fanick’ and ‘Texas Pink’ phlox plants in EC 5 had severe salt foliage damage, while those in EC 10 were died. Mexican bush sage in EC 10 had severe salt foliage damage. Turk’s cap, ‘Katie Blue’ ruellia, ‘Henry Duelberg’ salvia, and ‘Blue Princess’ verbena had minor foliar damage regardless of treatment. EC 5 reduced the shoot dry weight (DW) by 45% in ‘Texas Pink’ phlox and 11% to 18% in ‘Katie Blue’ ruellia, ‘Henry Duelberg’ salvia, and mexican bush sage, but did not impact the shoot DW of Turk’s cap and ‘John Fanick’ phlox. EC 10 further decreased the shoot DW of ‘Katie Blue’ ruellia, ‘Henry Duelberg’ salvia, and mexican bush sage plants by 32%, 29%, and 56%, respectively. EC 5 decreased leaf net photosynthesis (P_n) of ‘Texas Pink’ phlox and mexican bush sage, while EC 10 reduced P_n of all species except ‘Henry Duelberg’ salvia and ‘Blue Princess’ verbena. ‘Katie Blue’ ruellia and ‘Blue Princess’ verbena had relatively lower leaf Na concentration and ‘John Fanick’ phlox, ‘Texas Pink’phlox, and mexican bush sage had higher leaf Cl concentrations. In summary, Turk’s cap, ‘Katie Blue’ ruellia, ‘Henry Duelberg’ salvia, and ‘Blue Princess’ verbena were the most tolerant perennials, and ‘John Fanick’ phlox, ‘Texas Pink’ phlox, and mexican bush sage were the least tolerant to salinity.

Nodal segments containing one axillary bud (1 to 1.5 cm) were disinfected using 10% bleach and were established on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium without hormones at 27 °C and with a 16-h photoperiod. The sprouted shoots (≈1.0 cm) were cultured on a MS medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), kinetin (KIN), or zeatin (ZT) at 2.3, 4.5, 9.1, or 18.2 μM. After 38 d, ZT and BAP significantly induced multiple shoot formation with multiplication rates of 4 to 6, whereas the multiplication rate of KIN was less than 2. Shoots cultured on ZT grew significantly taller than those on BAP and KIN. The height of the longest shoots treated with ZT was 4.6 cm, which was 1.6 to 2.2 times greater than those treated with BAP or KIN. To induce rooting, shoots (≈2 cm) were subcultured on one-fourth strength MS (1/4 MS) medium containing either 3-indolebutyric acid (IBA) or 1-naphthylacetic acid (NAA) at 2.6, 5.1, or 10.3 μM. Adventitious roots formed in vitro after 2 to 4 weeks. IBA at 10.3 μM produced the best rooting (100%) compared with other treatments after 38 d of culture. The average number of roots per shoot for IBA was ≈15, which was 1.6 to 3.1 times as many as that of other treatments. All rooted plantlets were then transplanted into a mix of peatmoss and perlite (1:1 v/v) and acclimatized in a mist system. Average plantlet survival was 73.6% after 35 d. After acclimatization, they were grown in a pot with Metro-mix under greenhouse conditions for 10 weeks where 95% of plants survived and grew up to 6.8 cm high. The micropropagation procedure, i.e., nodal segments containing one axillary bud proliferated on MS with 4.5 μM ZT followed by in vitro rooting on 1/4 MS plus 10.3 μM IBA, could be used for commercial mass production of new inkberry cultivars.

Excessive salinity in soil and irrigation water in combination with waterlogging in coastal regions can significantly reduce the productivity of many agricultural crops. To evaluate the plant growth responses to simulated seawater (SSW) flooding, seedlings of 10 vegetables (broccoli, chinese cabbage, chinese greens, cucumber, eggplant, kale, radish, ‘Red Crunchy’ radish, spinach, and tomato) were flooded with SSW at electrical conductivity (EC) of 44.0 ± 1.3 dS·m⁻¹ or tap water at EC of 0.8 ± 0.1 dS·m⁻¹ for 24 hours and grown subsequently for 2 weeks in a greenhouse. Chinese greens and cucumber plants died shortly after flooding with SSW, whereas other vegetables exhibited various degrees of visible salt damage. Chinese cabbage suffered the strongest reduction, whereas spinach, tomato, and eggplant exhibited the least decrease in dry weight (DW) due to SSW flooding in comparison with their perspective control. Two weeks after flooding treatment with SSW, net photosynthetic rate of broccoli, kale, spinach, and tomato was reduced by 43% to 67%, transpiration rate by 35% to 66%, and stomatal conductance (g _S) by 51% to 82%. In summary, spinach, eggplant, and tomato were the most tolerant, whereas chinese cabbage, chinese greens, and cucumber were the least tolerant to SSW flooding.

To provide more species for landscapes where poor-quality irrigation water is used, salt tolerance of commonly used landscape plants should be characterized. Nine ornamental species, including six herbaceous and three woody, were irrigated with nutrient solution at electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.2 dS·m⁻¹ (control) or saline solution at EC of 5.0 or 10.0 dS·m⁻¹ (EC 5 or EC 10) for 8 weeks and their growth and physiological responses were determined. Although growth was reduced in orange peel jessamine (Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’) and mexican hummingbird bush (Dicliptera suberecta) as salinity increased, no obvious signs of stress or injury were observed, indicating that orange peel jessamine and mexican hummingbird bush were the most salt tolerant. Flame acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii), rock rose (Pavonia lasiopetala), and ‘Dark knight’ bluebeard (Caryopteris ×clandonensis ‘Dark Knight’) had more growth reduction than that of orange peel jessamine and mexican hummingbird bush with minimal or no foliar damage in EC 5 and slight foliar damage in EC 10. Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and mexican false heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia) exhibited mortality rates of 30% and 20%, severe foliar damage, and greater than 70% reduction in leaf area and dry weight in EC 10 compared with their respective controls. Although the growth reductions in butterfly blue (Scabiosa columbaria) were not as great as cardinal flower and mexican false heather, 40% of butterfly blue plants were dead with moderate foliar damage in EC 10. Therefore, cardinal flower, mexican false heather, and butterfly blue plants were considered as moderately salt sensitive. Eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) was the most salt sensitive among the species investigated with moderate foliar damage in EC 5 and all plants died in EC 10. Four out of the nine species tested had significant differences in net photosynthetic rate (P_n), stomatal conductance (g _s), and/or relative chlorophyll content between the control and EC 10, and the difference varied with species. Shoot ion concentrations of the nine ornamentals were also affected by salinity levels and varied among species.

Spirea (Spiraea sp.) plants are popular landscape plants in Utah and the Intermountain West United States. Spiraea betulifolia, S. japonica, S. media, S. nipponica, and S. thunbergii were evaluated for salinity tolerance in a greenhouse experiment. Plants were irrigated weekly with a nutrient solution at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.2 dS·m⁻¹ (control) or saline solution at an EC of 3.0 or 6.0 dS·m⁻¹ for 8 weeks. At the end of the experiment, all spirea plants survived and retained good visual quality, with average visual scores greater than 4 (0 = dead, 5 = excellent) when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 3.0 dS·m⁻¹, with the exception of S. thunbergii, which showed slight foliar salt damage and an average visual score of 3.8. When irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 6.0 dS·m⁻¹, all S. thunbergii plants died, S. media exhibited severe foliar salt damage and an average visual score of 1.5, and S. betulifolia, S. japonica, and S. nipponica displayed slight-to-moderate foliar salt damage and average visual scores greater than 3. Regardless of spirea species, shoot dry weight decreased by 20% and 48% when irrigated with saline solution at ECs of 3.0 and 6.0 dS·m⁻¹, respectively, compared with the control. Saline solution at an EC of 3.0 dS·m⁻¹ did not affect net photosynthesis (P_n) of all spirea species except S. nipponica, but saline solution at an EC of 6.0 dS·m⁻¹ decreased the P_n of all species by 36% to 60%. There were 37, 7, 36, 21, and 104 times more sodium (Na⁺) concentrations in leaf and 29, 28, 28, 13, and 69 times more chloride (Cl⁻) concentrations in leaf than in the control when S. betulifolia, S. japonica, S. media, S. nipponica, and S. thunbergii were irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 6.0 dS·m⁻¹. Correlation analyses indicated that foliar salt damage and reduced plant growth and photosynthesis were induced mainly by Cl⁻ ions accumulated in the spirea leaves. S. thunbergii was the most sensitive species; it had high mortality and low visual quality at both salinity levels. Spiraea japonica, S. nipponica, and S. betulifolia were relatively more tolerant and had good visual quality at elevated salinity compared with S. media and S. thunbergii. These research results are valuable for growers and landscape professionals during plant selection for nursery production using low-quality water and landscapes in salt-prone areas.

Tatarian dogwood (Cornus alba) is an ornamental shrub with white fruits, creamy-white flowers, and red stems in fall through late winter and is widely used in residential landscape, public parks, and botanical gardens. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to characterize the survival, morphological, aesthetic, and physiological responses of tatarian dogwood seedlings to salinity and drought stresses. In Expt. 1, tatarian dogwood seedlings grown in three soilless growing substrates (Metro-Mix 360, 560, and 902) were irrigated with a nutrient solution at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.2 dS·m⁻¹ (control) or saline solution (by adding calculated amount of sodium chloride and calcium chloride) at an EC of 5.0 or 10.0 dS·m⁻¹ once per week for 8 weeks. Results showed that substrate did not influence the growth of tatarian dogwood seedling. All plants irrigated with saline solutions at an EC of 10.0 dS·m⁻¹ died, whereas those irrigated with saline solutions at an EC of 5.0 dS·m⁻¹ exhibited severe foliar salt damage with an average visual score of 1.0 (on a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 = dead and 5 = excellent without foliar salt damage). Compared with the control, saline solutions at an EC of 5.0 dS·m⁻¹ reduced plant height and shoot dry weight (DW) by 50.8% and 55.2%, respectively. Relative chlorophyll content [soil plant analysis development (SPAD) reading], chlorophyll fluorescence (F_v/F_m), and net photosynthesis rate (P_n) also decreased when plants were irrigated with saline solutions at an EC of 5.0 and 10.0 dS·m⁻¹. Leaf sodium (Na⁺) concentration of tatarian dogwood seedlings irrigated with saline solutions at an EC of 5.0 and 10.0 dS·m⁻¹ increased 11 and 40 times, respectively, compared with the control, whereas chloride (Cl^-) concentration increased 25 and 33 times, respectively. In Expt. 2, tatarian dogwood seedlings were irrigated at a substrate volumetric water contents (volume of water/volume of substrate, VWC) of 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, or 45% using a sensor-based automated irrigation system for 60 days. Results showed that drought stress decreased plant growth of tatarian dogwood seedlings with a reduction of 71%, 85%, and 87% in plant height, leaf area, and shoot DW, respectively, when VWC decreased from 45% to 15%, but all plants survived at all VWC treatments. Significant reductions of photosynthesis (P_n), stomatal conductance (g _S), transpiration rate (E), and water potential were also found in plants at a VWC of 15%, compared with other VWCs. However, SPAD readings and F_v/F_m of tatarian dogwood seedlings were similar among the VWCs. In conclusion, tatarian dogwood seedlings were sensitive to the salinity levels tested in this study but could survive at all tested substrate volumetric water contents and exhibited resistance to drought conditions.