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Proven hardy greenroof plants are the Alpine
types and those that can retain a certain amount of moisture within their leaves
or bulbs. So, in theory, other plants known to flourish in areas of high heat,
drought, wind, direct sun, and temperature extremes should be particularly
adaptable to the sometimes harsh conditions of a greenroof. I would
speculate that most plants naturally occurring along county roads, expressways,
abandoned sites and the like that do not receive irrigation would adapt well to the greenroof environment.
The caveat here is to only select shallow rooting plants, not those with
taproots!
There are growing resources out
there, including governments, books, professional association magazines and
websites; this page is meant as a start. Please also review
Recommended Readings, as well as advice from the
column of "Ask Ed," our Plant Editor.
September, 2008: Portland,
Oregon, Ecoroof Plant Report Now Available
The ecoroof plant report presents information about the most sustainable ecoroof
plants in Portland, Oregon and gives guidance on the plant selection for various
ecoroof site conditions. This report presents information from the 2003 Plant
Survival Findings in the Pacific Northwest report and from recent assessments of
15 ecoroofs and 18 plants in Portland. The report also describes experiences of
local designers and maintenance personnel with ecoroofs. Copies are available
online at
www.portlandonline.com/bes/ecoroof.
On to some suggestions:
The plants
listed below with the U. S. granite outcrop as their natural habitat also fit
this profile; Source: Professor Darrel Morrison, School of
Environmental Design, UGA, 1999.
Wildflower blends that are native to particular
regions should also grow and flourish on greenroofs provided a good drainage
layer, and occasional maintenance. But keep in mind that generally, native
plants will require additional water requirements since they have been adapted
to search deeper for water during periods of drought. Therefore, it is
usually necessary to provide a deeper depth of growing media for native as
opposed to non-native extensive greenroof plants.
Several U. S. state Departments of Transportation, including Georgia's,
have been experimenting with different blends of wildflower seeds on highway
medians that are appropriate for their area. Following is also a
list of wildflower species appropriate for, but not necessarily native to,
Georgia; Sources: S & Seeds of Carpinteria, CA (Phone:
805.684.0436; e-mail: ssseeds@silcom.com; website:
www.ssseeds.com); and general
references from the excellent book, Gardening with Native Plants of the
South, by Sally Wasowski with Andy Wasowski, 1994.
So this is
just the beginning of a long list of potentially successful greenroof vegetation
that eventually should be as vast as the United States. Please share your
suggestions and successes with greenroof plants so that they may be included.
|
ROCK PLANTS & WILDFLOWERS |
| BOTANICAL NAME |
NATURAL HABITAT & NOTES |
| Achillea millefolium |
Native to Europe & Asia, Yarrow is naturalized here in
the U.S. Once established, it's very drought tolerant. |
| Allium bivalve |
Native to the U. S. Granite Outcrops |
| Centaurea cyanus |
Annual; Coneflower or Bachelor's Button. |
| Chrysantheum leucanthemum |
Native to Asia, Ox-Eye Daisy needs well drained soil. |
| Coreopsis lanceolata, tinctoria |
U.S. native of the S.E.; also C. auriculata, grandiflora,
major, nundata, rosea, verticillata |
| Cosmos bipinnatus, sulphureus |
Native to Mexico, a self-seeding annual |
| Echinacea purpurea |
U.S. native of the S.E.; also E. pallida, paradoxa |
| Gaillardia aristata, pulchella |
Annual & perennial, Firewheel likes well drained soil |
| Hieracium venosum |
Native to the U. S. Granite Outcrops |
| Liatris microcephala |
Gayfeather is native to the U. S. Granite Outcrops |
| Oenothera speciosa |
Showy Primrose is a native of North America east of
the Mississippi; also O. fruticosa, tetragona |
| Opuntia drummondii |
Prickly Pear is a native of U. S. Granite Outcrops |
| Phlox drummondii |
U. S. native of the S.E.; also P. carolina complex, glaberrima,
maculata, paniculata, pilosa. P divaricata native to eastern North
America |
| Potentilla canadensis |
Native of U. S. Granite Outcrops |
| Rudbeckia hirta |
Black Eyed Susan is a U. S. native of eastern U. S.; also R.
fulgida, lacinat, maxima, nitida, triloba |
| Sedum pusillum, smallii |
Native of U.S. Granite Outcrops |
| Senecio smallii, tomentosa |
Ragwort is native of U.S. Granite Outcrops; also S.
aureus, glabellus, obovatus, native to eastern North America |
| Solidago spp. |
Goldenrod is native to the eastern U.S. with numerous spp.,
such as S. nemoralis, odora, pintorum, rigida, rugosa, sempervirens,
speciosa, and ulmifolia |
| Tradescantia hirsutocaulis |
Spiderwort is native to U. S. Granite Outcrops |
| Yucca filamentosa |
Native of U.S. Granite Outcrops |
| BOTANICAL NAMES: |
NATURAL HABITAT & NOTES: |
| Andropogon ternarius, virginicus |
Native of eastern U.S. & Granite Outcrops, abandoned
fields; widely distributed, many species |
| Aristida purpurascens |
Native from N. Carolina to Mississippi |
| Bouteloua curtipendula, hirsuta |
Sideoats Grama and Hairy Grama are native to the Texas area |
| Panicum lithophilum, and spp. |
Switchgrass is native to North America; also P. virgatum |
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