In a year which saw widespread flooding to the Edinburgh Bypass and disruption to thousands of commuters, a new five-year programme at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh that will help the city withstand these increasingly extreme weather events could not be more timely.

The £500,000 evidence-based Plants with Purpose initiative implements the research institute’s unique blend of scientific and conservation horticulture expertise to assess how society can more effectively utilise garden plants to absorb flash flood water, moderate extreme temperatures in built-up areas and provide better conditions for key pollinators. Funding was provided through a legacy bequest.

Plans are in hand to use the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s own four sites around Scotland as living laboratories for the project. And, while working towards Government adaptation targets, it is believed the research programme can potentially help promote economic growth by encouraging increased productivity and jobs as knowledge and trade practices evolve.

Underscoring the need for this level of research, Raoul Curtis-Machin, the organisation’s Director of Horticulture and Visitor Experience, explained: “While we know intuitively that green is good, and that plants are essential for our planet and our lives, we need to find out more about how different plants can tangibly work in the battle to cope with our changing climate.

“Plants are already incorporated into landscape features such as green walls and rooves, rain gardens and stormwater planters. Collectively referred to as blue-green infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions, these are now making differences in towns and cities around the world. As both a leading botanic garden and one of Edinburgh’s top visitor attractions, we are perfectly placed to work with a broad spectrum of partners to measure, improve and communicate these traits.”

The research team is headed-up by RBGE ecologist Dr Chris Ellis, who added: “The legacy of traditional urban grey infrastructure is that our cities are ill-prepared to contend with the impacts of heat and extreme weather in our changing climate. Therefore, using traditional infrastructure to engineer our way out of the climate emergency is not always the most efficient path forwards. Including Nature-based Solutions in our adaptation toolkit makes good sense.”

The Garden’s Nature-based Solutions scientists, Caitlyn Johnstone and Dr Emma Bush run the Plants with Purpose research programme and, since the programme’s launch in May, have been engaging with educators, specialists and industry across Edinburgh and the UK. The opinions of local authorities and members of the public will also ensure the research achieves maximum impact in helping mainstream these Nature-based Solutions across the capital, Scotland and beyond.

In a call to action, Emma Bush said: “Designing plants into our buildings and streets can help us soak away excess rainfall, cool and clean our air, and even improve our own health and wellbeing. But, knowing which plants to use where, and how to look after them, can be a challenge. As the research progresses, we cannot wait to share what we learn with visitors to our Gardens, the wider public and partner organisations.”