Install a Florida Green Roof and Save a Species From Extinction - Habitat and Green Roofs

Ever thought about helping save the planet's wildlife from extinction?  Installing a green roof or living wall can help.  Many species are dependent on the amount of greenery growing up above the ground for survival.

Species like the green Florida anole, Anolis carolinensis are being pushed towards extinction by newcomer lizard species to Florida, such as the Cuban anole, Anolis sagrei.  However, the Cuban anole prefers lower, bushy plants and tree trunk areas for habitat while the Florida green anole likes taller greenery and vegetation.

So by adding what we call 'Volumetric Green' to your urban yard, you are providing the Florida green anole with a place to escape predators and live.

Green roofs and living walls are the perfect way to add volumetric green to your commercial building site or to your residence.

We have seen over and over how the addition of a small green roof can help increase the population of the green anoles.  For a great website on this interesting species see the Discover Life website -   and for a great video of a green anole who loves riding wind turbines - click here.   

Installation of a green roof and living wall will not only offer the benefits of cleaning stormwater, providing habitat (saving a species) and creating beauty - when you install your MetroVerde green roof you are creating a permanent and effective method of Pest Control!  Anoles love to eat mosquitoes, termites and roaches!  Check out the you-tube video appropriately labeled "Crunch!"  

Specify and install a MetroVerde Green Roof today and help save a species!

Happy green roofing.

Kevin

What Plants Should I Use For My Green Roof?

What plants should I use on my green roof?  I hear this question often.  The answer depends on your site orientation, sun exposure, rainfall amount, location, temperature zone, exposure and a host of other variables.

However I strongly suggest you take a tour around town as a first step in selecting green roof plants.  You will be surprised at what you find.  Look up at the top of buildings, old churches, in roof gutters - especially in older downtown areas.

Some of the most successful low maintenance, extensive and non-irrigated (other than natural rainfall) green roofs have been those pioneer and volunteer native plant species established and growing in gutters and along roof parapets.

If you are serious about understanding green roofs you will take the time to go, look, find, and identify the plant species growing without any additional assistance on the roof of your downtown buildings.

Though these plants may not ultimately be those you use, they will provide a solid understanding of the plant morphology and structure that does well under the influence of the 5 H’s.

How Hot Do Green Roof Plants Get? Green Roof Plants For Florida and the Southeast

We are seeing 150 degree F leaf surface temperatures this week in Jacksonville.  You need a plant with a low leaf stomata to leaf surface area ration to survive these temperatures.

Irrigation and Green Roofs, Green Roof Plants and Summer Heat

Green Roof Temperature Data

Summer is here and it is hot on the roofs!  Check out the data below we collected this week.

 Using an Extech IR Thermometer AN200 we measured the surface temperatures for portions of the Florida Green Roof, surface temperatures on plants growing in the adjacent ground and then surface temperatures of non-vegetated roofs.  Readings are an average of July 26th, 27th and 28th taken hourly.  Several items stand out.  The green roof agave leaf surface temperature reached 149 degrees F.  That is alot of heat to subject a plant to.  There was significant difference between the decking below a green roof and the decking below an asphalt shingle roof.  The flower on the hibicus growing in the ground, though a brighter color was generally cooler than the leaf on the same plant.  We are collecting additional data and will be publishing our conclusions in the next couple days.  For more information call Kevin 904-294-2656.

Amazing Green Roof Plants - Plants For Florida Green Roofs

It is the time of year where the sedums and other succulents really suffer here in Florida.  It is concerning to have watched the sedums flourish through the winter drought and cool spring then develop rot.  Unfortunately the daily high humidity found in Florida at this time of the year creates serious pressure cooker like situations on a roof - steam - heat - water.  Most succulents will not survive the summer humidity, and in fact if there are too many on a roof, they will create an area that breeds deseases that can affect other green roof plants.

The moral of the story here is to use a blend of plants - the picture here is of our low leaf littter, low volatile oil containing grasses.  These plants have been raised in greenhouses for over a year with timed watering of 1" per month.

Choosing the right green roof plant will ensure your Florida or Southewastern Green Roof's success.  Call Kevin at 904-294-2656 for details.

Green Walls - Living Walls - Green Roofs - What Plants do I use?

Tip Of The Day.

How do I learn about what plants do best for green roofs in an area?  Begin by driving around and identifying those volunteer species growing naturally in building walls and roofs around your city.

Some will work, some won't - however this practice is a good start to understanding what plants do best without irrigation and in minimal soil.

Call us with questions on your green roof project.

Green Roofs - Irrigation and Green Roofs - Green Roofs for Florida and the Southeast

As I travel across the Southeast, I take the opportunity to stop and study plants growing in different places within the urban core.  I was amazed at the variety of plants growing out of crypts and other structures in New Orleans.  Hot, dry and desolate, the stone structures successfully supported a number of plant species that apparently had been growing for quite some time.  Just goes to show - you do not need to irrigate a green roof.....

Irrigation and Green Roofs - Green Roofs for Florida

The green roof test panel shown here is one year old.  We are preparing the unit for hurricane wind tunnel testing.    The only irrigation the roof panel has had is rainfall, and survived a very dry winter and spring.  Green roofs present a different growing environment for plants than do the ground.  No matter how rocky or little soil there may be, the ground offers a consistently cooler place for roots to exist.  A three inch thick extensive roof soil layer can reach temperatures of 140 degrees F or higher while the ground temperature is significantly lower.  So for plants to survive on a non-irrigated green roof, they must be carefully chosen.

We are raising a new breed of plants in the greenhouse where they are exposed to growing conditions much like those to be experienced on a roof.  Heat and prolonged drought.  With trials well into a year now, the plants go through prolonged leaf impact, however when finally brought out and exposed to rain, the bloom and grow.  Importantly, we look at the potentially for flammability when using plants with dried leaf matter or leaf litter.

One interesting quality we are seeing more and more of is the ability for plants to absorb humidity here in Florida.  Fortunately, even when the temperatures are torrid, the air relatively humidity may be quite high.  Air humidity can make the difference between a plant dying and a plant surviving a long period of non-rainfall.

Finally, with water shortages here in Florida and watering restrictions in place by municipalities and water management districts, why would a green roof designer recommend irrigation?  It is because they do not understand the 'right plant, right place' concept.  We have been working on green roofs for many years and understand those plants that work and those that do not.


Call us to discuss your next green-roof project!  Kevin 904-294-2656

Green Roofs for Florida - Sailboats can have Green Roofs also....

Bayou la Batre, Alabama - Sailboat Green Roof Supreme!  Enjoy!

Kevin...904-294-2656

Non-Irrigated Green Roof - 1 Year and Still Going Strong at UF Test Center

Call Kevin for more information on your light weight green roofs 904-294-2656.

Green Roofs for Florida - Irrigation required? No!

Now, many green roofs are not garden roofs. They are not full of lush, tropical vegetation with nitrogen fertilizers added and irrigated with water that should be charging our aquifers. The latest argument for irrigation of green roofs - is - it is OK if the irrigation water comes from recycled stormwater. Sounds good, right! But how many of proponents of rainwater recycling actually have had rainwater systems in place for some time? If they do they will tell you that the cisterns are empty most of the time! Yes, we have an annual rainfall amount of well over 50 inches per year, but we also have extended periods of time where there is little if any rainfall.

So the proponents of irrigated green roofs say - use city water backup!

I thought we were in water conservation mode here. Watering restrictions, etc...

Just don't irrigate your vegetated roof. Use native species! The other day on a conference call an engineer referred to the native species of plants as 'Weeds!"

It is all perspective. I like the thought of using native species, not irrigating and still having a great vegetated roof.

The above photo is a test panel at UF that has been sitting in a back lot with less than an inch of soil average for almost a year with no irrigation or fertilizer and is still functioning to drink and clean stormwater and provide habitat for pollinators, etc...

No, it is not Jungle Gardens. But it is a thriving, functioning Green Roof! Remember - there is a difference between Intensive Green Roofs that are irrigated, weight 10 times as much or more and cost ten times as much or more - and require massive structural support - and Extensive Green Roofs that are light weight, non-irrigated, non-fertilized and can be put on simple structures.

Another Green Roof in Florida - with Natives & Non-Irrigated

Corie's roof is planted with Florida Natives. The weight is approximately 10 lbs per SF and the roof is non-irrigated. We will post pictures as the roof plantings fill in with the growth of the native allium seeds.

Green Roofs, Irrigation, Florida & Hurricanes

Hurricane - High Winds & Non-Irrigation Tests for a green roof test panel. We are collecting data, working with a major university to measure hurricane effects on a non-irrigated, lightweight extensive green roof.

The test panel is a 4' x 10' simulated roof capable of being raised and lowered from a flat elevation to a forty five degree angle.

The vegetated portion is non-irrigated and less than one inch thick.

The panel is being tested under hurricane wind speeds in a wind tunnel. It is also under study for plant growth and survival characteristics under a no-irrigation environment where the insulating qualities are being measured also.

Stay tuned for more information!

Green Roofs in Florida and Irrigation. Is irrigation really necessary for green roofs in Florida?

Here we go again! The draft stormwater manual compiled by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection states that 'Green Roofs in Florida must be irrigated.'

The above statement is simply incorrect and is not a statement we should be hearing from the agency stressing xeriscaping and water stewardship!

I am immediately shut off when I even bring up the topic by many.

Why?

I don't know but it is true - Florida Green Roofs can prosper and thrive even without irrigation.

The roof above has done so beautifully! And in-fact is growing water loving sedges this summer (though I imagine they will die when the dry winter hits) - I suppose birds or the wind dropped seed.

Choose your plants wisely. Plant green roofs to survive without irrigation. Be water wise!

Florida Green Roofs, Roots, Liners, Life Expectancy and Shingles

Yesterday I removed one of the original green, vegetated roofs we had installed in Florida - to replace with different plants - an herb garden type.

I was amazed at how the green roof plant roots had attached themselves to the fabric, creating a strong and binding weave - an important consideration here in Florida's hurricane prone environment.

The shingle roof underneath actually looked newer than the day, years ago that I installed the green roof.

Another example of how green roofs can protect the underlying roof membrane (especially non-irrigated green roofs!)

Kevin

Corie's Green Roof - Jacksonville

Corie Baker is the architect behind the famous Villa Paraiso mansion on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville (see builttotallygreen.com).

Her and her husband have a flat roofed addition on their historic Avondale home - and they wanted a MV Green Roof.

Here is a green roof base installed today.

Watch for more pics as the plants are installed!

Kevin

Life on a Green Roof is Ever Evolving and Constantly Changing - Dynamic Life Cycles of Florida Green Roof

Each new day brings new lessons and data on our Florida Green Roofs.

Our green roofs here in Florida change every day and teach us new lessons each day.

After more than five years of watching plants on roofs I never saw Bahia grass take hold and start to thrive on a vegetated roof. Certainly during the hot drought of February, March and April 2009 here in Jacksonville the grasses didn't show their blades - but today - after a month of steady afternoon thunderstorms there are grasses colonizing portions of our New Florida Green Roof over the detached office building.

I never saw it before and all of a sudden it is here.

Surely with winter it will die back - but the seed heads are full of seed.

We will see if Bahia comes back next spring.

Flat Roofs and Sloped Roofs, Green Roofs for both in Florida

Remember though - the plants you have installed on your green roof generally do not like wet feet, so provide good drainage!

Our field panels have shown that green roof systems in Florida with excellent drainage - nothing to hold the water in the soil - grow the healthiest plants.

Many take the opposite approach and install a water retention layer (material like a sponge - and a good way to grow mold and culture up plant diseases). Though a water retention layer will work when rain events are a week apart - allowing for drying time - the retention layer becomes a detriment during periods of daily rainfall events. All of a sudden the drought tolerant plants are subject to wetland conditions.

Therefore - we have found green roof plants (Extensive Roofs - we do not work with the heavier, more costly intensive roofs) - on sloped roofs do the best.

Moreover, engineered soils will last longer when well drained. Water has a tendency to act as a separation agent (dig down into your backyard and you can tell how high the ground water rises because the water separates organics and inorganics into layers).

Remember - well drained systems last longer and grow healthier plants!

Native Plants and Florida Green Roofs

Every good plant person wants to use native species in their landscape. At least we all confess so anyway. Certainly the term is politically correct and in vogue by most regulatory agencies, municipalities and various conservation groups, native plant societies and NGO's.

I have just concluded several years native plant trials on flat and sloped green roofs - extensive green roofs that are not irrigated or fertilized. I've traveled across the State of Florida to various plant nurseries and native plant nurseries. I've purchased and accepted as free native plants to try on the roofs. We've watched them through 20 degree F weather and then through 150 degrees in the summer. Earlier this year we had an 11 week stretch where we received less than 1/2 inch total rain.

Roofs are a rough, tough place to put plants. Most have little concept of the harsh and unhospitable environment most roofs possess. The winds alone over Florida roofs are desiccating and will dry out most plants in a matter of hours.

Plants with high stomata to leaf surface ratio are doomed on a roof. Plants that cannot tolerate high humidity and sever swings in daily temperatures - 60 degrees F is not unheard of - are also doomed.

But Florida's sandhills and xeric uplands support native species with a promise of being able to tolerate the ultimate test of life on a roof.

Native grasses make it for a season or two, but the constant winds weaken their resistance and ultimately they fall prey to extreme drought or cold. We've looked at the leathery leafed native vines- railroad vine, for instance and again - though it comes back when planted in the ground after a hard freeze - it has not reliably recovered on the roof.

The native Allium canadense - or nodding onion - also shows promise.

Yucca's, such as the native Adam's Needle are strong contenders however they have a tall habit and may outgrow a roof.

Of course there are many South African and European plants that survive and prosper in these conditions. But they are not natives.

So why not irrigate? We have a water shortage and a mold problem in Florida. The first time an irrigated vegetated roof leaks and causes building mold issues, precedent will be set for every other building with vegetated roofs and mold, regardless of a leaking roof or not.

And Florida has a serious water stewardship issue. 50% of all potable water use right now is for irrigation. Good enough reason to not irrigated a vegetated roof.

Many will never be convinced of the irrigation issue - but we are making progress. Native can work. Finding the right species for the right roofs takes time.

The above pictures are of Elliot's Lovegrass on a flat trial panel and Allium canadense on a sloped roof.

Send me your thoughts... & Happy green roofing!

A Small Herb Garden on the Roof - An Amazing Architect

Rob Overly and his wife Kate want (Kate's direction the roof plants be useful and practical if on the roof) a small green roof Herb Garden above their front door.

The roof is relatively flat and will receive summer sunlight from mid-morning til mid- to late-afternoon.

We will be installing the roof over existing asphalt roll.

Rob rode his Vespa over last week and we planted several trays of seeds - mainly Garlic Chives, one of my favorite Green Roof Plants. Rob is working on Living Machines and other Green Apparati. He is a great resource for Green Building - find him on the web under Rink Design.... You can also track their project at www.robandkatesgreenroof.blogspot.com

Stay in touch for the up to date reports on Rob and Kate's Herb Garden on the Roof!