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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Geranium 'Rozanne'
Item #: 5111
Zones: 5a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Gloxinia 'Little Red'
Item #: 11082
Zones: 7b to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 16" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Gloxinia nematanthodes 'Evita'
Item #: 5556
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Argentina
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 06/14/2024Sold out -
Gymnaster savatieri 'Edo Murasaki'
Item #: 9582
Zones: 5a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Habranthus 'Pink Flamingos'
Item #: 6244
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Houstonia procumbens 'White Clay'
Item #: 13745
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 1" 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 perNext crop available: 05/10/2024Sold out -
Indigofera kirilowii 'Christo'
Item #: 674
Zones: 4b to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Ipheion peregrinans 'Rolf Fiedler'
Item #: 5268
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 5" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Uruguay
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Ipheion uniflorum 'Greystone'
Item #: 8519
Zones: 6b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Argentina, South America
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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Iris x ampliflora 'Ming Treasure'
Item #: 17217
Zones: 6b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 60" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $29.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Iris japonica 'Eco Easter'
Item #: 5768
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China, Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 05/24/2024Sold out -
Iris japonica 'Porcelain Maiden'
Item #: 9990
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Iris japonica 'Skirt Chaser'
Item #: 9991
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China, Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Iris tectorum 'Snow on the Roof'
Item #: 17609
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $27.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 05/24/2024Sold out -
Sold out
Iris tectorum 'Wolong'
Item #: 9142
Zones: 5a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $27.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 05/17/2024Sold out -
Juniperus conferta 'All Gold'
Item #: 9909
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Kalimeris mongolica 'Hortensis'
Item #: 1219
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Asia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Lantana camara 'Ham and Eggs'
Item #: 5452
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Central America, Mexico, South America
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 05/17/2024Sold out -
Sold out
Lantana camara 'Miss Huff'
Item #: 826
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Central America, Mexico, South America
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 05/31/2024Sold out -
Lantana camara 'Star Landing'
Item #: 3958
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Central America, Mexico, South America
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Lantana 'Chapel Hill Yellow' PP 19,548
Item #: 8970
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Lavandula x intermedia 'Phenomenal' PP 24,193
Item #: 6216
Zones: 4a to 7b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Lavandula stoechas 'Anouk' PP 16,685
Item #: 8236
Zones: 7b to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Spain
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Leucanthemum x superbum 'Daisy Duke' PP 21,914
Item #: 10716
Zones: 5a to 7b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 20" 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.