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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Selaginella tamariscina 'Beni Kujaku'
Item #: 9353
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan, Philippines, Taiwan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $28.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sempervivum 'Beta'
Item #: 13862
Zones: 4a to 8a
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sempervivum 'Hordubal'
Item #: 17258
Zones: 4a to 8a
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $0.00Regular priceUnit price perThis plant is available for JLBG Members only.
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Sempervivum 'Pacific Blue Ice'
Item #: 17257
Zones: 4a to 8a
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sinningia 'Arkansas Bells'
Item #: 9334
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" 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 -
Sinningia 'Bananas Foster'
Item #: 8527
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" 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 -
Sinningia 'Carolyn'
Item #: 8831
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" 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 -
Sinningia 'Cherries Jubilee'
Item #: 12825
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" 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 -
Sinningia tubiflora
Item #: 4688
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sisyrinchium angustifolium 'Lucerne'
Item #: 4782
Zones: 5a to 7b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sisyrinchium nashii 'Suwannee'
Item #: 4789
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'
Item #: 1032
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 40" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Solidago sp. nov. 'Montana Minnie'
Item #: 15762
Zones: 4a to 8a, guessing
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 3" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Solidago sphacelata 'Golden Fleece'
Item #: 734
Zones: 4a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome'
Item #: 953
Zones: 3a to 7b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Fanny'
Item #: 341
Zones: 4a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Tradescantia 'Pale Puma'
Item #: 7303
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Tradescantia sillamontana 'Gold Stripes'
Item #: 17231
Zones: 8a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Verbena 'Blue Princess'
Item #: 1945
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Verbena bonariensis
Item #: 1144
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: South America
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Verbena canadensis 'Snowflurry'
Item #: 1148
Zones: 5a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Verbena catharinae 'Lavender Frappe'
Item #: 9573
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 1" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Brazil
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Verbena peruviana
Item #: 1154
Zones: 6a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Argentina, Brazil
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Verbena 'Pink Princess'
Item #: 10782
Zones: 8a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular 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.