Climate change in the Northern United States is causing less consistent rain events that pressure horticulturists to mitigate the negative impacts of drought stress in ornamental plants. Selecting ornamental native plants that can adapt to predicted changes in climate is a way to preserve and strengthen landscape biodiversity and resilience. Bog birch (Betula pumila) and sweetgale (Myrica gale) are native, colony-forming shrubs indigenous to bogs across the Northern regions of North America with aesthetic features that merit their introduction as ornamental plants. The successful introduction of wetland plants into the nursery industry depends upon their tolerances to variation in water availability typical of managed landscapes. Our 8-week study assessed physiological responses to gradual declines in substrate volumetric water content (VWC) for both shrubs, as water stress intolerance may be a constraint in horticultural landscapes. To model a severe water deficit, we built an automated irrigation system using Arduino microcontrollers connected to soil moisture sensors and solenoid valves that allowed us to track and control VWC. Control plants were maintained at 40% throughout the 8-week period, while drought was simulated by decreasing VWC by 5% each week. Water potential, stomatal conductance, and rate of leaf photosynthesis declined in the plants experiencing drought, with symptoms of leaf dieback and yellowing. In contrast, plants held at 40% VWC maintained physiological functions and had minimal aesthetic decline. By week 8, droughted bog birch and sweetgale reduced their leaf dry masses by 20% and 28%, respectively, relative to control plants. Plants held at 5% VWC had lower stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rates compared to those held at 40%, with sweet gale showing a steeper decline compared to bog birch. During the experiment, stomatal conductance of drought-stressed bog birch and sweetgale decreased by 93% and 77% respectively, and increased for control plants. Similarly, bog birch and sweetgale experienced photosynthetic declines, with respective average decreases of 68% and 62%. At the end of the experiment bog birch maintained a higher leaf retention after severe drought. Most plants of both species retained some living leaf tissue under severe drought. Despite their natural habitats in waterlogged areas, bog birch and sweetgale have potential as drought tolerant, native ornamental shrubs for gardens and landscapes.
