Florida Living Wall and Green Roof Plants, Nature Found

Some of my best learning experiences with green roof and living wall plants come from Mother Nature.

Florida Living Wall & Green Roof Plants Nature Selected (ferns), Ft. Pickens, Pensacola by Kevin Songer

Mother Nature is especially instructive about nature irrigated plants growing in sea salt influenced areas; up the sides of masonry walls and across barren roofs.

Florida Living Wall & Green Roof Plants Nature Selected (Bidens alba & ferns), Ft. Pickens, Pensacola by Kevin Songer

These photos here were taken on the ocean front walls of the old brick Fort Pickens in Pensacola, Florida, US.

Old forts and other relic structures that have been in existence over time are plant laboratories, experiments in drought, heat, wind and salt tolerance.

Florida Living Wall & Green Roof Plants Nature Selected, Ft. Pickens, Pensacola by Kevin Songer

Another fort, Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida as been surveyed by biologists and the limestone walls found to grow over fifty different species of plants. 

Although in reality most green roof and living wall designers do not use these specific plants typically found growing across structures, the knowledge gained from examining wild roof and wall plants is invaluable.

Identifying and classifying these found plants as to their Genus and Family classifications can help select other related but more suitable to vertical landscape plants.

Florida Living Wall & Green Roof Plants Nature Selected, Ft. Pickens, Pensacola by Kevin Songer

Moreover, understanding the C3, C4 and CAM photosynthesis pathways evolved by these plants provides a solid basis for green roof and living wall design.  

Examine those plants you seeing growing downtown when you are out and about.  Nature has so much more to teach us than the most detailed scientific manuals!