Naturalistic plantings provide environmental and human well-being benefits and have become increasingly popular in many parts of the world, particularly in Europe and North America. China, a major carbon emitter with a mission to achieve carbon neutrality, is gradually recognizing the ecological benefits of naturalistic plantings in promoting sustainable environmental improvement. In recent years, naturalistic plantings have been introduced in major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Chengdu. If this approach is to be upscaled to deliver environmental and wellbeing effects across China, there is an urgent need for a greater understanding of the level of acceptance of naturalistic planting design amongst the Chinese public. This study aimed to explore public perceptions of and preferences for designed naturalistic planting design in Beijing, China to inform future urban landscape design and management throughout China. An on-site questionnaire was conducted with 1600 participants who were visiting national nature reserves, urban parks, and EXPO show gardens in Beijing. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were then carried out online or on-site with a sub-set of 47 interviewees. Our results show that most respondents recognized and defined nature according to the degree of human intervention and the scale of a scene. Respondents surveyed in urban parks perceived designed naturalistic urban plantings, more positively than conventional Chinese planting design. They recognized and appreciated naturalistic plantings for their ecological values, enjoyment, and fitness, as well as acknowledging the perception of disorder and unsafety in small-scale design show gardens. We identified relationships between respondents’ gender, age, education level, income and professional background and their preference for designed naturalistic urban plantings. Our study contributes to the growing body of research on urban plantings and provides valuable insights for urban planners and greenspace designers in China. By harnessing the preferred planting characteristics identified in our study, urban planners and designers can shape greener, more sustainable environments that effectively address the challenges of urbanization while creating harmonious spaces that benefit both urban residents and the ecosystem
