Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Sunday - May 12, 2013
From: New York, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Wildflower Center, Green Roofs, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Stick with tried and true plants for a green roof in New York
Answered by: Leslie Uppinghouse
QUESTION:
If I use Virginia creepers in a ground covered application for a green roof, how much soil should I provide depth wise?ANSWER:
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) isn't the best ground cover in a green roof application. A good rule of thumb would be to stay away from any woody plant. Plants which age into a woody stem you can count on preferring deeper soil and although Virginia creeper will grow as a ground cover through loose leaf mulch the tap root of this plant will dive down as deep as it can go. It might work for a bit, but long term, it would be unhappy.
Depending on your construction, you would typically be looking for no less than four inches of soil but rarely would you be able to do much more than that so you need to think about plants that have a shallow root system and you also typically need to focus on plants that can take full sun and full exposure to the elements. You also may be dealing with a slope of some kind so keep that in mind as well and look for plants that can hold what little soil is available to them, in place. This is why bunch grasses and sedges are used so frequently. If grasses seems too plain, don't despair, many smaller plants both perennial and reseeding annuals will liven the space up with texture and color.
Green roofs provide many benefits but are tricky to install and maintain. Take plenty of time researching both the construction as well as the plants and soil you will be using. As the popularity of these systems rise so has the availability of information. We at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center have been working on green roof systems for many years under the guidance and direction of Dr Mark Simmons. Take a look at this information from the green roof page of our web site which tells you a little bit about the work we have done at the Center. It also has some links included that might give you some ideas.
As you are in New York also take a look at the City of New York Parks and Recreation web site, it has a nice list of plants that they recommend for green roof applications with native plant recommendations for your area. Some of the plants included in this list are: Tridens flavus (Purpletop tridens), Andropogon virginicus (Broomsedge bluestem), Geum canadense (White avens), Pycnanthemum virginianum (Virginia mountain mint), Symphyotrichum laeve (Smooth blue aster)
From the Image Gallery
More Green Roofs Questions
Planning and designing a green roof from Austin
April 30, 2011 - I am in the planning stage to decide about planting a green roof as part of new construction. My ideal plant life on the green roof would have minimal root structure (deeper roots mean deeper soil mea...
view the full question and answer
Can you grow wildflowers on a Zoysia greenroof?
June 09, 2015 - I have a 700 square foot zoysia grass roof with irrigation on a pool cabana that I would like to sprinkle with wildflower seeds (bluebonnets, indian paintbrush etc) Is this possible? What is the best ...
view the full question and answer
Native perennial roof garden plants for New York
November 09, 2006 - I am looking for perennial roof gardens plants, sedum, hen and chickens, native plants. I am in zone six. They will have three inches of perilite, gravel, and compost. Can you give me a good local so...
view the full question and answer
Green wall panel for Dallas
August 21, 2007 - We are working on a green wall panel for a hotel near SMU--I see your list of recommended species for green roofs, & wondered if you have any ideas for vertical applications. Probably will have someth...
view the full question and answer
plants for a green roof
June 12, 2011 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
We have a small, homemade green roof with a 4" medium on our sunroom, which faces south, however, a portion is partially shaded a Sweet Gum tree. Native Iris cristata, phlox...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |