Selecting the right plants is a major factor in the success of green infrastructure achievements.
Plant Selection and Sustainability for Green Roofs and Walls
Selecting the right plants is a major factor in the success of green infrastructure achievements.
It takes time to trial and select plants for a green roof or green wall project.
Every project has a unique environment, a different microclimate or aspect, which will determine the range of species. Some will thrive others will curl up and die, it is important to give them time to try them out.
This sustainability factor especially needs to be considered for Australia’s harsher environment.
We need to match plant communities with environmental conditions in the built environments that mimic conditions in their original habitats (Lundholm 2006).
Our environment is an asset that needs to be acknowledged, treasured and maintained for future generations.
The plant selection on a green roof or wall is accepted to include native endemic species that are suitable for the local climate and, enhance the biodiversity by complementing the surrounding environment.
Many of our native plant species have aesthetic beauty as well as adaptability.
It’s time we started to consider our vast range of native species more in our selection for green infrastructure, understanding which plants survive and perform optimally increases confidence and support within regional and national green roof industries (Scott, MacIvor & Lundholm (2011)
Diversity in an investment is the key to profitability through the spread of risk; it may also be the key to plant selection on a green roof.
Using plants with different strategies to deal with weather extremes or drought will help in the overall plant success and sustainability of a green roof or wall. Spreading the risk across varying species will also provide us with the key question “What species are going to work on a green roof?”
Trial and error will be the method until this industry matures, but we can minimize the time searching for the right species by using certain criteria used by other local and international green roof specialists.
In finding successful plant species that will perform on a green roof, four categories to look for are:
- Succulence
- Root adaptations
- Dormancy
- Rerouting.
Fleshy leaves are able to store water; this is a characteristic of succulence in leaf morphology.
This is why the Sedum genus is so often used on roofs in Europe and the Americas, although not recommended in Australia.
The roots of many local Australian native plants have adaptations to store water, for example fleshy roots or water storing bulbs (Arthropodium sp).
Dormancy is a characteristic in dry land species where the plant shuts down until adequate moisture is available and re-sprouting is a mechanism for recovery after drought.
For more information on selecting the right plants for your green roof or wall project:
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