Beautiful Native plants in Hong Kong

As the world talks about biodiversity, the protection of native plant species has also emerged as a major topic. Native plants provide food and shelter, creating sustainable and ideal habitats for insects, birds, and other animals. These animals, in turn, help spread seeds, facilitating mutual benefit and continuous reproduction. By cultivating diverse flora and fauna, these habitats preserve biodiversity and create a more stable ecological environment. This approach also avoids problems associated with monocultures, thereby enhancing local species variety. Local plants, also known as native plants, have existed long before humans. They can self-reproduce in their natural state and resist local diseases and pests without needing fertilisers or pesticides. When used for urban greening, they can reduce urban carbon footprint compared to non-native species.

Last year, I conducted a study on the current use of plants in public green spaces in Hong Kong’s urban space. It was found that 78% of plants in these spaces are non-native species, with only 22% being native species. Compared to similar studies in the UK, the proportion of native plants used in Hong Kong is relatively low.

There are various reasons for this. Government departments lack the initiative and support for adopting native species. Although the "Hong Kong Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan" states that departments should use more native species and encourage diverse planting, no concrete actions have been taken. On the nursery side, each supplier has limited stock of native species and offers only a few varieties. Furthermore, the supply of native seedlings from Guangdong Province lacks transparency. Even if landscape architects want to actively use native species, they often resort to cheaper and more readily available non-native varieties due to various reasons such as project costs, deadlines, and unstable supply of native seedlings.

The same study also investigated public's understanding of urban plants in general. Most citizens have varying degrees of misunderstanding about native and non-native plants. Many agree with the statement that "non-native plants can provide corresponding food sources for local wildlife". But in fact, while many non-native plants may provide food for local wildlife, they reduce the chances for native species to pollinate.

Moreover, some rare animals depend on specific native plants for survival. For example, the rare Red Lacewing relies on the King Snake Creeper; the White Dragontail depends on the Illigera; and the Golden Birdwing needs the India Birthwort. Without these host plants, the animals that rely on them are likely to disappear.

Public opinion is crucial for the greening of public spaces. Research shows that citizens place greater importance on the safety, naturalness, and environmental friendliness of public green spaces over other design considerations. They are most hesitant about the high density of wildlife in urban areas. In terms of plant selection, most citizens prioritise native plants the least, revealing a contradictory mindset: on one hand, they hope that greening plants can provide food sources for urban wildlife, while on the other hand, they do not see native plants as very important for greening. We should therefore promote the benefits of native plants and educate citizens on proper greening knowledge to achieve harmony in urban ecology.

This article will introduce six native plant species with significant ornamental value: two herbaceous plants—Purslane and Assam Indigo; one fern species—Maidenhair; and three shrubs—Red Azalea, Hance's Viburnum, and Enkianthus (Chinese New Year Flower).