Ozone Sensitivity of Selected Southeastern Landscape Plants

Abstract

Twenty-six species and/or cultivars commonly used in landscapes of the southeastern United States were exposed to three ozone (O3) levels for 3-week periods during spring and summer 1994. Thirteen species or cultivars exhibited visible foliar injury at the highest rate, 2.5× ambient, and two cultivars exhibited foliar injury with ambient O3 concentrations. The most sensitive were two cultivars of buddleia or butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii Franch. ‘Black Knight’ and ‘Royal Red’), with visible injury under ambient and 2.5× ambient O3 levels, and ‘White Star’ zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia HBK ‘White Star’) with visible injury observed under 2.5× ambient O3 levels. Seven other cultivars of buddleia and three cultivars of red maple (Acer rubrum L. ‘Autumn Flame’, ‘October Glory’, and ‘Franksred’ (Red SunsetTM)) exhibited minor foliar injury under 2.5× ambient O3 levels. Visible injury was not present on flowering dogwood (Cornus florida L. ‘Stokes Pink’), hollies (Ilex crenata Thunb. ‘Green Luster’, I. cornuta Lindl. & Paxt. ‘Carissa’, I. x attenuate Ashe ‘Fosteri #2’), cultivars of crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica L. ‘Byers Wonderful White’ and ‘Carolina Beauty’), glossy abelia (Abelia x grandiflora (Andre) Rehd.), southern waxmyrtle (Myrica cerifera L.), sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima Carruth), begonia (Begonia semperflorens-cultorum Hort. ‘Pizzazz Red’), petunia (Petunia x hybrida Hort. Vilm.-Andr. ‘Celebrity Red’), salvia (Salvia splendens Sello. ‘Hotline’), or gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa L. ‘Strawberry Fields’).