Analysis On The Landscaping Characteristics Of Palms And Evaluation Of Its Application In Fuzhou

The Palms are among the most distinctive families of tropical plants. Featured by their elegant unbranched stems and evergreen tree crowns, they have been widely used on both indoor and outdoor greening in recent years, gaining popularity in Southern China. There is a great variety of species in the palms family. The larger species make a dramatic statement in the landscapes, while the smaller ones are also frequently seen in the parks and along the roads. For the important role they play in decorating our city’s natural landscape, an in-depth study of the palms is meaningful.This paper studied the palms grown in 4 districts within the Third Ring Road in Fuzhou. According to the Criteria for Classification of Urban Green Spaces in 2002, this paper classified the surveyed spaces into three major categories, namely, parks, attached green spaces, and other green spaces. Adopting a random sampling approach, this paper assessed and evaluated the usage and landscaping characteristics of the palms in Fuzhou’s central area. The paper also analyzed various combinations of plant arrangements involving the palms, and made recommendations on other feasible plant arranging designs. By using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique and conducting public survey, the author discussed problems observed, and elaborated on areas for improvement.In the 61 surveyed areas in Central Fuzhou,there are 18 genera with 31 species of palms, including 6 species of Phoenix, 3 species of Caryota, and 2 species each for Arenga, Chrysalidocarpus, Livistona, Washingtonia, Rhapis, and Chamaedorea. These palms are observed to be arranged with numerous other plants, amounting to 135 species of 112 genera in 65 families.This paper concludes that the palms in Fuzhou are suitable to be used in spaces with crowd of visitors or larger public areas. Palms can be grown in diverse habitats, and can be utilized in both naturalistic and geometric garden styles. This paper also discussed the pairing of palm trees with architecture, roads,and other hard landscaping and waterfront design elements.Some areas for improvement were discovered in this research, such as lack of variety in species, unvarying plant combinations, and improper planting and pruning techniques. The author has made the following suggestions:1). Utilize the ecological benefits of native species, and keep the non-native species in their suitable habitats; 2). Adopt a long term approach when designing plant arrangements to avoid unnecessary disruption to the plants’life cycle; 3). Increase the variety of species used in plant arrangement, preferably native species; 4). Improve on the quality of care and maintenance; 5). Customize and localize landscape planning.This study aims to establish a theoretical basis and provide constructive recommendations for the usage of palms, and explore potential areas for innovation to revamp Fuzhou’s urban landscape.