The Best Plants for a Green Roof

Green roofs have many benefits, including helping lower the temperature of the surrounding area and protecting the roof from the weather and deterioration. It would be dull to simply plant grass on your roof, however, so consider some of these lovely plants that work perfectly on green roofs.

Gold Sedum

These beautiful plants grow in a shallow layer of soil and don’t require much in the way of nutrients. They’re lightweight and easy to grow, as well as being very hardy so you don’t need to worry about them dying rapidly. They also produce beautiful yellow blooms that are popular with honeybees.

Meadow Saxifrage

Another flowering plant, this one produces flowers in the spring and continues to bloom throughout the summer, giving your rooftop plenty of white flowers to enjoy. The leaves are also decorative, and the plant never grows very high. It’s also quite popular with insects and helps create a little biome on top of your home.

Birdsfoot Trefoil

These flowers bloom in multiples per stalk, so they create a lush layer of yellow to cover your roof in the summer. These create seed pods, which then reseed themselves. It’s a good flower for attracting butterflies, as well as bees and tends not to grow very tall.

Widow’s Cross

This plant is drought resistant, so it’s ideal for areas with water restrictions. It will grow throughout the year, but blooms in the spring and summer. The flowers it produces are pink and green, so you’ll have a riot of colour atop your home.

Two Row Stonecrop

If you have little water, you’ll want to plant more succulent type plants and this is one of the best. It thrives even in poor soil and is not a fan of too much water. The succulent leaves keep everything looking green even when lawns are brown, and it produces lovely pink or red flowers for a pop of colour. This particular plant is also helpful in reducing the chances of a fire on your rooftop.

Oregano

While taller than most of the plants on this list, oregano will also creep along the ground or rooftop, creating a fragrant herb garden feel to your home. The flowers are a beautiful purple that attracts bees and butterflies and if you need a little seasoning, you can simply pick a few leaves. This plant is quite hardy and will survive with minimal water, too. Whatever plants you select for your green roof, be sure they’re the right choice for your area. Most will do well even with minimal water and poor soil, but some plants are harder to grow than others. Always check before selecting them.

Ready to set up your green roof? Contact B&D Roofing for more information.