Over the last two decades, green roofs and green walls have emerged as popular ways to garden and help the environment too.
We have assembled a list of many great plants for green roofs from our massive on-line plant catalog and have included plants that are widely used. A good green roof will have at least 10 different plant species in order to provide visual interest, attract the widest variety of wildlife, and prevent the disease problems of monoculture (if one species falters, there are several others to replace it). Due to climatic differences, a green roof in Seattle will have different plants than a green roof in Atlanta.
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Pycnanthemum tenuifolium 'Campbell Carpet'
Item #: 12812
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $17.60Regular priceUnit price per$22.00Sale price $17.60Sale -
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Arp'
Item #: 1268
Zones: 7a to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 84" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mediterranean Europe
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Rubus pentalobus 'Emerald Carpet'
Item #: 729
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Taiwan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $16.80Regular priceUnit price per$21.00Sale price $16.80Sale -
Rudbeckia umbrosa
Item #: 9719
Zones: 5a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $16.80Regular priceUnit price per$21.00Sale price $16.80Sale -
Salvia chamaedryoides
Item #: 688
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $17.60Regular priceUnit price per$22.00Sale price $17.60Sale -
Sold outSalvia darcyi 'Presidio'
Item #: 17484
Zones: 6a to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 54" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per
Next crop available: 07/24/2026Sold out -
Salvia farinacea 'Henry Duelberg'
Item #: 6822
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia 'Feathers Peacock' PP 33,993
Item #: 18547
Zones: 4a to 8a
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 16" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $16.80Regular priceUnit price per$21.00Sale price $16.80Sale -
Salvia greggii 'Big Pink'
Item #: 2615
Zones: 7a to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 40" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia greggii 'Diane'
Item #: 5082
Zones: 7a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia greggii 'Lipstick'
Item #: 3202
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia greggii 'Teresa'
Item #: 7195
Zones: 7a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia greggii 'Texas Wedding'
Item #: 889
Zones: 5b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'
Item #: 2016
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Brazil
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia x jamensis 'California Sunset'
Item #: 5952
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia x jamensis 'Golden Girl' PP 23,997
Item #: 2347
Zones: 7b to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $18.40Regular priceUnit price per$23.00Sale price $18.40Sale -
Salvia x jamensis 'Rose Bicolor' PP 33,084
Item #: 17865
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia 'Jean's Jewel'
Item #: 17611
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 60" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia 'Mes Azur' PP 21,097
Item #: 16664
Zones: 6b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips'
Item #: 5424
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia microphylla 'San Carlos Festival'
Item #: 185
Zones: 7a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia nutans
Item #: 11572
Zones: 5b to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Balkans, Russia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia regla 'Jame'
Item #: 1626
Zones: 7b to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia 'Silke's Dream'
Item #: 4442
Zones: 7a to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per
More Information About Green Roofs
What do you do when you run out of room in your garden for new plants? Look up and you'll see the answer. Over the last two decades, green roofs and green walls have emerged as popular ways to garden and help the environment too.
What is the purpose of a green roof?
Other than aesthetics (plants for green roofs look great!) green roofs help the environment and reduce electricity consumption. Much like a shade tree, a green roof prevents sunlight from warming buildings during summer. Plants for green roofs also transpire water which provides evaporative cooling during summer. Green roof plants reduce winter heating costs because of their insulating effect. Plants for green roofs filter air pollutants and reduce stormwater runoff, keeping the local air and water clean.
What are the best green roof plants?
Any drought-tolerant, heat-tolerant, wind-tolerant, low-maintenance, sun-loving plant with a shallow root system is a good candidate for a green roof garden. Nationwide, the most widely used plants for green roofs include Sedum, Carex, Sempervivum, Opuntia cactus, Aster, Oregano, Dianthus, Rudbeckia, to name just a few.
Our list of plants for green roofs includes both extensive and semi-intensive green roof species for a variety of environments nationwide. Not every plant on this list will work well on every green roof. Green roofs are a fairly new field and we are always discovering new plants that perform well, so check back often for periodic updates.