Start Slideshow
- 10 Great plants for a living green roof lead<a href="http://inhabitat.com/vppr-architects-turn-green-roofs-into-a-pinwheel-canvas-at-otts-yard-in-london/">Rooftop gardens</a> keep your abode cool in summer, add a layer of insulation in winter and create funky, fragrant, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/attracting-pollinators-plants-that-encourage-bees-butterflies-and-birds-to-visit/">butterfly- and hummingbird-filled</a> hanging gardens throughout the year. In the process, they help to power down energy consumption and reduce the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/turn-hot-patios-into-hot-water-using-hidden-temperature-converting-thermahexx-panels/">urban heat island effect</a>; the heat generated from urban rooftops and parking lots that makes our cities unbearably hot. <a href="http://inhabitat.com/need-a-rooftop-farm-call-this-company/">Green roof companies</a> are sprouting up all over the place to help you make the transition, but installing a green roof is also a feasible project for a do-it-yourselfer. Even if you don’t have the time, money or technical wherewithal to give your entire home a green roof, you can start by trying it out on a small scale: a gazebo, shed roof, doghouse, or even a tiny birdhouse can be converted.1
- green roof cabinGreen roofs can help to regulate your home's temperature in both summer and winter.2
- green roof succulentsSucculents are ideal for rooftops, as they can withstand both extreme heat and cold.3
- StonecropThere are hundreds of Sedum varieties available, so you can decorate your green roof in countless different hues and textures.4
- SempervivumHouseleeks, also known as "hen and chicks", also come in many different colors, and they spread in attractive little rosettes to fill up any empty spaces.5
- HouseleekRooftops are tough place for plants: they're vulnerable to intense heat, cold, wind and drought, plus they can’t support a lot of weight, so the plants need to grow in just a few inches of soil (actually, ultra-lightweight soilless growing mediums are typically used). Thus, it's plants that grow naturally on desert cliffs, alpine crags, and other such inhospitable places that are used for green roofs. Fortunately, these include many truly stunning species—some exquisitely beautiful, others absolutely bizarre and even a few that are edible or otherwise useful....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/top-10-plants-for-a-living-roof/'>READ ARTICLE</a>6
- DelospermaDelospermas come in a variety of different shades, and are easily recognized by their daisy-like flowers.7
- Zwartkop"Zwartcop" succulents are such a deep purple that they're almost black, and add great texture and color to your green roof.8
- ThriftThrifts are sea-grasses, and will thrive best on homes by the seaside. Unlike "real" grasses, they're decked out in pink or purple blossoms in summertime.9
- SedgeSedge is ideal for rooftops, as its shallow roots require very little soil.10
- AstersBright and joyous, asters add dimension as well as color to green roofs.11
- YarrowA powerful medicinal herb, yarrow thrives in poor soil, and attracts all manner of butterflies and bees.12
- ThymeThyme is prolific, soft, and fragrant, and pulls double-duty as an ornamental cover, and a delicious culinary herb.13
- OreganoCommon oregano makes a great roof- or ground-cover, as it thrives in full sunshine and can tolerate being walked upon.14
- 10 Plants for Your Living-RoofRooftops are tough place for plants: they're vulnerable to intense heat, cold, wind and drought, plus they can’t support a lot of weight, so the plants need to grow in just a few inches of soil (actually, ultra-lightweight soilless growing mediums are typically used). Thus, it's plants that grow naturally on desert cliffs, alpine crags, and other such inhospitable places that are used for green roofs. Fortunately, these include many truly stunning species—some exquisitely beautiful, others absolutely bizarre and even a few that are edible or otherwise useful....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/top-10-plants-for-a-living-roof/'>READ ARTICLE</a>15
- 10 great green roof plants wordsRooftops are tough place for plants: they're vulnerable to intense heat, cold, wind and drought, plus they can’t support a lot of weight, so the plants need to grow in just a few inches of soil (actually, ultra-lightweight soilless growing mediums are typically used). Thus, it's plants that grow naturally on desert cliffs, alpine crags, and other such inhospitable places that are used for green roofs. Fortunately, these include many truly stunning species—some exquisitely beautiful, others absolutely bizarre and even a few that are edible or otherwise useful....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/top-10-plants-for-a-living-roof/'>READ ARTICLE</a>16