Green Roof Plants For Shade

Emory knoll farms inc.

Green roof plants for shade.

Succulents such as sedum are often chosen for extensive green roofs because they withstand harsh conditions and minimize water loss. Shade tolerant plants are most likely to flower in spring and tend to offer foliage rather than colour for most of the year. If your roof is shaded by trees or by other buildings you will need to choose shade tolerant plants such as woodland bulbs bluebells aconites etc woodland grasses red or white dead nettle and primrose. Their low growing and or spreading habits great drought tolerance seasonal flowers and contrasting foliage colours textures and forms make them ideal candidates for green roofs.

Flowers give much needed color later in the season. Try dry habitat perennials and ornamental grasses such as rudbeckia achillea potentilla armeria dianthus helictotrichon sempervirens stipa tenuissima and even bulbs such as muscari or small allium species such as allium flavum and a. Succulents particularly colourful sedums dominate shallow substrate green roofs across temperate europe and north america. Sedum ternatum mossy stonecrop 8 1 qt.

Think of a green roof as a lasagne of ingredients. Founded the first green roof nursery in north america. This can be made out of timber while off the shelf installations are typically metal. Iresine or alternanthera is a tropical perennial with showy green foliage that is irregularly splashed with white and pink.

The soil mix we like to use is 50 expanded shale 25 usda sand and 25 organic compost. This plant thrives in partial shade or sun and is great as a ground cover. We get most of our native plants from nature by design and typically the plants below would work well in partial or full shade. Succulent plants are well adapted to the conditions often found on extensive green roofs because of their ability to limit transpiration and store excess water.

We are active in green roof plant research. The leaf coloring of iresine can vary immensely depending on light with brightest color generally in full sun. First down is the waterproof root barrier layer which will protect the surface of the roof. Green roofs of creeping plants and herbs need some sort of frame around the perimeter to hold everything in place.

Plants for extensive green roofs should have low growth height rapid growth spreading and fibrous roots that have high drought tolerance. Carex pennsylvanica pennsylvania sedge 8 1 qt.