Abstract:In order to select garden species with strong drought tolerance, six common garden species, such as Lonicera maackii, Cercis chinensis, Lagerstroemia indica, Vitex negundo var. heterophylla, Lespedeza bicolor, and Broussonetia papyrifera were used by water control test in pots, and the morphology, soil water content, contents ofchlorophyll and propylene dialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in leaves were studied. The results showed that soil water content decreased with the extension of drought stress time. The growth of Lonicera maackii, Lespedeza bicolor and Vitex negundo var. heterophylla look like better, while that of Lagerstroemia indica, Cercis chinensis and Broussonetia papyrifera showed wilting and falling. Photosynthesis pigment contents of six species first rose then fall, the activity of SOD showed general upward trend except for Lagerstroemia indica, and the content of MDA rose continuously under drought stress. Therefore, the drought resistance of Lonicera maackii, Lespedeza bicolor and Vitex negundo var. heterophylla is strong, and that of Lagerstroemia indica, Cercis chinensis and Broussonetia papyrifera is weak.
