Green Roof Plants - C4 Plant List

We refer to green roofs plants possessing the C4 photosynthesis processes frequently here in the Green Roof blog and people often ask the question "Where can I find what plants are classified as having C4 photosynthesis processes?"

Below is a list of many plants know to have multi-cellular photosynthetic processes and drought resistant qualities.  The list is part of a University of California at Santa Cruz paper entitled "C4 Photosynthesis, Atmospheric CO2, and Climate", by Ehleringer, Cerling, Helliker (1997).  Though the paper is well over ten years old, the data is very useful.



Photosynthesis process are just one of many variables we use in modeling green roof plant placement and performance, however a very important one.

An interesting note is - of all the dicots, Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, and Amaranthaceae contain the most genera of C4 plants, while within the monocots you see many C4 plants within the Poaceae and Cyperaceae genera.

Considering shade, light availability, wind, temperatures and other factors along with the plants mentioned in the below list will assist in 'Right Plant, Right Place' determination.

Hope the list is useful.


Dicotyledonae (subclass)
Caryophyllanae (superorder)
Caryophylles (order)

Aizoaceae (Family) -      Cypselea, Gisekia, Trianthema, Zalaeya


Amaranthaceae (Family) -  Acanthochiton, Aerva, Alteranthera, Amaranthus, Brayulinea,
Froelichia, Gomphrena, Gossypianthus, Lithophila, Tidestromia

Caryophyllaceae (Family) - Polycarpaea


Chenopodiacea (Family) -  Anabis, Aellenia, Arthrophytum, Atriplex, Bassia, Bienerta, Camphorosma, Chenolea, Climacoptera, Comulaca, Cytobasis, Echinopsilon, Gamanthus, Girgensohnia, Ha-
lanthium, Halimocnemis, Halocharis, Halogeton, Halostigmaria, Haloxylon, Hammada,
Horaninovia, Hypocyclix, Kochia, Londesia, Noaea, Panderia, Petrosimonia, Salsola,
Seidlitzia, Suaeda, Theleophyton, Traganum

Molluginaceae (Family) -  Glinis, Mollugo


Nyctaginaceae (Family) - Allionia, Boerhaavia, Okenia


Portulaceae  (Family) - Portulaca

Theanae (superorder)
Polygonales (order)

Polygonaceae (Family) - Calligonum


Malvanae (superorder)
Euphorbiales (order)

Euphorbiaceae  (Family) - Chamaesyce, Euphorbia


Violanae (superorder)
Brassicales (order)

Capparaceae  (Family) - Gynandropsis

Geranianae (superorder)
Linales (order)

Zygophyllaceae (Family) - Kallstroemia, Tribulus, Zygophyllum


Asteranae (superorder)
Asterales (order)

Asteraceae (Family) - Flaveria, Glossocordia, Glossogyne, Isostigma, Pectis


Solananae (superorder)
Solanales (order)

Boraginaceae (Family) - Heliotropium

Convolvulaceae (Family) - Evolvulus


Gentiananae (superorder)
Scrophulariales (order)

Acanthaceae (Family) - Blepharis

Scrophulariaceae  (Family) - Anticharis


Monocotyledonae (subclass)
Commelinanae (superorder)
Juncales (order)

Cyperaceae (Family) - Ascolepis, Bulbostylis, Crosslandia, Cyperus, Eleocharis, Fimbristylis, Kyllinga, Lipocarpha, Mariscus, Pycreus, Rhynchospora

Poales (order)

Poaceae  (Family) - Alloteropsis, Andropogon, Arundinella, Bouteloua, Cynodon, Echinochloa,

Leptochloa, Microstegium, Panicum, Paspalum, Setaria, Sorghum, Spartina,
Sporobolus, Zea (many more genera)