Aesthetics of Native Ornamental Trees in Urban Green Spaces of Northern Iran: The Case of Rasht City

Native tree species can be a good candidate for growing in urban green spaces as per the climate of each region due to their high adaptation, high resistance to environmental stresses, low maintenance costs, and low water requirement owing to reliance on rainfall. This research aimed to explore the aesthetic aspect of native ornamental trees in the city of Rasht, Iran. So, the aesthetic traits and characteristics of 14 native tree species were recorded by observing them in nature. After 11 aesthetic parameters were determined, an opinion poll was conducted among experts with a questionnaire designed by information collected. The trees were evaluated by theanalytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the results were analyzed by the Expert Choice software package. Based on the findings, the three species of Zelkova carpinifolia, Parrotia persica, and Acer cappadecicum were the most suitable and the three species of Populus caspica Bornm., Gleditsiacaspica, and Juniperus foetidissima were the least suitable from an aesthetic viewpoint. It is also concluded that from an aesthetic perspective, deciduous broadleaf tree species are more beautiful in different seasons than evergreen narrow-leaf species in the study site, so they are more capable of being used in urban green spaces.