Florida Green Roof and Living Wall Plant, Cape Honeysuckle, Tecoma capensis, Amazing Intense & Brilliant Orange Color

Here are a couple photos from an amazing living wall vine, Cape honeysuckle, Tecoma capensis with super intense, bright orange blooms.  

Florida green roof, living wall plant Cape Honeysuckle, Tecoma capensis, Daytona shopping mall

If you love orange then this living wall vine is perfect for you.

Florida green roof, living wall plant Cape Honeysuckle, Tecoma capensis, bright orange blooms

Cape honeysuckle is not native to this area so please take this into account when planting or using in a landscape.  We always first and for most recommend the use of native vines for living walls where possible.  Cape honeysuckle does exhibit some aggressive growing tendencies but the species is not listed on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's invasive plant list (yet).

This vine based wall was covered with pollinators the other day!

Florida  living wall plant Cape Honeysuckle, Tecoma capensis, Daytona shopping mall another view

It appears Cape honeysuckle is very drought tolerant.  

The vine has reached out and begun to wrap around adjacent hardscape so we'd recommend regular pruning to keep the plant neatly trimmed in place.

 

Florida green roof, living wall plant Cape Honeysuckle, Tecoma capensis

Living walls are so very beneficial to the community, delivering;

• a cooling of Urban Heat Island Effect
• cleaning and treating storm water
• sequestering carbon dioxide and carbon
• lots of fresh oxygen on a daily basis
• beauty and creating a sense of place
• communal and foraging habitat for birds and wildlife
• integrative pest control
• and so much more...

What an amazing display of color! Cape honeysuckle's ability to create a stunning living wall of green and orange certainly deserves recognition for eye catching artistic beauty.

Florida Green Roofs, Living Wall Permaculture Plant, Seminole Pumpkin, Cucurbita Moschata

Seminole Pumpkin should always be considered for tropical green roofs and living walls due to its amazing leaf color and massive summer biomass production.

Summer time here in Florida usually brings the rains.  Rains mean more water on the green roof.  Seminole pumpkin drinks water like a thirsty athlete.  She also casts a fair amount of sprawling shade to help cool the roof from solar rays, in addition to the evaporative effect of photosynthesis and plant respiration. 

So it is easy for me to say, one of my favorite vines this year is the Seminole Pumpkin, Cucurbita moschata. 

Florida Green Roof and Living Wall plant, Seminole Pumpkin (Permaculture Food)

An adapted garden wonder to Florida, the Caribbean and Latin American, this variety of pumpkin or squash is acclimated to the harsh, humid climate of the region. 

Unripe Seminole Pumpkin, resistant to pests

A fast grower who provides ample shade, Seminole Pumpkin makes a great end of summer living wall and green roof plant.

Florida Living Wall plant, Cucurbita moschata

Thriving on neglect and drought, Cucurbita moschata, is ultra resilient to squash vine borers and other pests.  Here she is used as a cover to our geese pen, providing a wall of privacy, security, shade and food.

Seminole Pumpkin creates a living wall and green roof for the Urban Farm fowl

When thinking of drought tolerant plants for tropical green roofs and living walls, they don't just have to be wildflowers.

Seminole Pumpkin is a heavy food producing plant

 Nature has provided us with some awesome  food plants who will thrive well in the permaculture garden and on the hot roofs and walls.