Lightweight Plants For Flat Roofs

Lightweight but sturdy resists shrinkage and wind displacement stable to support plants soil.

Lightweight plants for flat roofs.

Sedum grass herbaceous perennials shrubs trees or horticultural plants including urban vegetable gardens. It reduces loading on the structure of the building even when saturated with water up to xx lightweight substrates that incorporate expanded clay are compatible with all climates and all plant types e g. A roof garden usually consists of larger planters filled with a mix of evergreens flowers shrubs and grasses. The heart shape foliage on the shrub or small tree which can reach 10 feet tall and is hardy in zones 4 8 is interesting too.

A deciduous shrub with a funky common name harry lauder s walking stick corylus avellana contorta twists itself into seemingly unfathomable shapes that are good sculptural plant accents to a rooftop garden. A green roof usually consists of shallow plastic or metal trays filled with sedums grasses or perennial wildflowers. A step up in size and cost from sedums is wildflowers especially hardier lower growing natives alpine plants and bulbs. Use a layer of lightweight drainage material at the base of the container such as polystyrene plant trays broken into crocks.

It has a very low slope between 1 4 to 1 2 inch per foot so that it drains water. It s lightweight and easy to install. Ensure the container is lightweight and has ample drainage holes in the base. Some companies such as green tech ltd offer a range of light weight soils and composts suitable for roof gardening.

Roofs that are easy to access can be suitable for growing hardy herbs such as thyme prostrate rosemary or chives. Flat roofing is not actually flat. 1 xf301 sedum blanket system with integrated water retention and filter layer. A green roof can be done on any roof even a slanted one.

But such a low slope holds snow and water much longer than a steeply pitched roof and therefore needs a very different material to stay watertight. Sedum vegetation blanket instantly providing at least 90 coverage on an extensive green roof. 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. 2 al40 edge trim frames and retains the xf301 system.