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Salt Tolerance of Ornamental Shrubs and Ground Covers1

1972; American Society for Horticultural Science; Volume: 97; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.21273/jashs.97.4.550

2327-9788

Leon Bernstein, François Levrau, Robert A. Clark,

Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Abstract The salt tolerance of 25 shrub and ground-cover species was determined in plots artificially salinized with NaCl + CaCl 2 . Chloride and Na injury was observed in sand cultures of the same species with 4 different salt treatments. Tolerant species, like bougainvillea, Natal plum, and rosemary were affected little, if at all, by soil salinities of 8 mmho/cm (electrical conductivity of the saturation extract: EC e ), whereas sensitive species like star jasmine, guava, holly, and rose were severely damaged or killed at EC e ’s of 4 mmho/cm. Salt tolerance was not well correlated with injury by Cl or Na, although many species exhibited leaf burn; nor was survival under highly saline conditions necessarily a good index of salt tolerance. Five-gallon specimens of sensitive, slow-growing species such as pittosporum were more tolerant than 1-gal specimens and delaying salination of such species increased salt tolerance somewhat. Leaves with symptoms like those of Cl or of Na injury but containing very little of these ions were frequently observed in landscape plantings of a number of shrub species. The injury was attributed to inadequate watering. It is suggested that Cl or Na accumulation in leaves of shrubs may cause injury by interfering with normal stomatal closure, causing excessive water loss and leaf injury symptoms like those of drought.