By Fatma Younis
A coalition of leading UK horticultural organisations is developing a free online tool to help gardeners predict which plants will survive future climate conditions. The Garden Climate Assessment Tool (GCAT) will evaluate a plant's tolerance to projected local climate factors such as temperature, winter cold and dryness.
Tool evaluates plant tolerance to projected climate
The Future National Gardens Group, which includes the Royal Horticultural Society, the National Trust, English Heritage and the Royal Botanic Gardens, built the tool using a model originally launched in Australia for trees. It currently holds data on up to 80,650 plant types from 289 UK gardens and will be continually updated. Professional gardeners were invited to trial the system on Monday, though a public release date remains uncertain.
Experts welcome tool for climate-resilient gardens
Prof Sam Brockington, curator at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, said the tool identifies plants struggling in the UK so gardeners can gradually replace them. RHS director of science Alistair Griffiths hopes it will spur climate-resilient gardens and shift decisions from reactive to anticipatory. Garden designer Laura Carey noted the tool's ability to assess weather variability, not just heat, aids long-term choices. Clive Boase of Climate Change Gardening said it supports gardeners in England's driest regions to move away from water-intensive classics like hydrangeas and delphiniums.
Soil type not yet included in assessment
Kim Shrosbree of the Epsom Garden Society highlighted that soil conditions such as chalk versus clay create opposite growing challenges not yet captured by the tool. Garden designer Juliet Sargeant emphasised that location-specific advice is essential as generic guidance becomes less reliable under changing climate.
