“Which plant where” is being used online in two main ways: as a practical gardening phrase (choosing the right plant for the right place) and as the name of a research-backed project and website that helps people select climate-resilient plants for urban landscapes, especially in Australia.

What “which plant where” usually means

In everyday gardening and forum talk, “which plant where” is shorthand for “how do I match plants to the conditions of a specific spot?”

People are typically thinking about:

  • Light: full sun, part shade, full shade.
  • Water: very dry vs. damp or periodically wet soil.
  • Temperature and climate: frost, heatwaves, urban heat islands.
  • Soil: sandy, clay, pH, drainage, organic matter.
  • Roots and size: whether a plant’s mature size or root system will clash with buildings, pipes, or pavements.

On forums, this often turns into conversations about “invasive” vs. “well‑behaved” plants, or debates over plants that cause ecological problems in a given region.

In many threads, people start by asking “what is this plant?” and very quickly pivot to “should it be here?” or “what else would fit better in this spot?”

The Which Plant Where program

There is also a specific initiative called Which Plant Where , a multi‑year research program and online platform.

  • It focuses on urban landscapes (streetscapes, parks, gardens) and how current plant choices will cope with future, more extreme climates (heat, drought, intense rain).
  • The program tests common landscaping species in different conditions and identifies more resilient or suitable alternatives.
  • The goal is to help councils, landscape architects, and home gardeners future‑proof plantings rather than relying on outdated plant lists.

On their site, contributors are encouraged to upload clear plant photos (with basic quality rules and size limits) so the team can better understand and document species performance.

Why it matters now (late 2020s)

Climate and biodiversity issues have made “which plant where” more than just a design question.

  • Cities are getting hotter and drier in many regions, so species that worked 20 years ago may fail now or soon.
  • People are more aware of invasive species that escape gardens and damage local ecosystems, which shows up in forum conversations about “intrusive” plants and “they’re all invasive!” worries.
  • Platforms and databases like PlantSage, Pl@ntNet, Plant Atlas, and Which Plant Where try to connect formal plant science with real‑world gardener experience.

In other words, “which plant where” has become a kind of umbrella idea: combine local knowledge, climate projections, and plant science to reduce failures, avoid ecological harm, and design greener, more resilient cities.

Simple mental checklist: “which plant where” for your own space

When you pick plants for any spot, you can quietly run a which plant where checklist in your head:

  1. Where are you?
    • City, climate zone, typical extremes (heatwaves, frost, wind).
  1. What is this micro‑site like?
    • Sun hours, shade pattern, reflected heat from walls or pavements, wind tunnel or sheltered corner.
  1. What’s under your feet?
    • Soil texture and drainage, how long water stays after rain, any compaction or construction rubble.
  1. What’s around it?
    • Buildings, power lines, pipes, other plants, wildlife you want to support or avoid (pollinators vs. allergy issues, for example).
  1. How will the climate change here?
    • Hotter summers, less predictable rain, more extremes – this is exactly what the Which Plant Where program models for urban plants.

If you tell me your location, sun/soil conditions, and what you want (shade, flowers, edibles, low‑maintenance, native, etc.), I can sketch a “which plant where” mini‑plan tailored to your space using this same logic.