Green Roof Alliums

It works well when planted in groups in rock gardens border fronts containers and window boxes its pink flower heads are 3 6 inches across held above 3 4 inch wide gray green leaves.

Green roof alliums.

Alliums have no serious insect problems as the sulfur compounds they produce apparently help ward off insect pests. Green roofs are hostile sites. Two alliums that are useful on green roofs are allium cernuum and allium. Like chives it is also edible.

An allium is a member of the onion family hence the name. An allium is a member of the onion family hence the name. The combination of elevated temperatures wind exposure and high light provide challenging conditions for plant growth. Nodding onions on a green roof in edmonton canada.

For a green roof you need small hardy perennial plants that don t need much tending. Alliums north america. Nodding onions on a green roof in edmonton canada. Root rot may be a problem in waterlogged growing media but poor drainage should never be a problem on a properly designed and installed green roof.

Extensive green roofs generally weigh between 12 50 pounds per foot versus 10 12 pounds foot for a conventional roof and 80 150 pounds foot for an intensive green roof not including snow. Sedums and other low growing succulents that need little water and can survive in. Known for having leaves that look as good as it flowers turkistan onion is among the shorter ornamental allium varieties. Foliage colors can vary from green to yellow red and blue and flowers from white yellow and pink to reddish.

Allium summer beauty creates a visually noticeable vertical accent adding some height to an extensive roof planting while increasing the potential for biodiversity. The sides of the roof may also need to be built up to accommodate the additional layers. While varieties of succulents and cactuses as well as short grasses from the allium family have proven to be successful green roof plants nothing seems to succeed like sedums. One of the favourites that we have seen in canada is nodding onion allium cernuum.

Plant selection requires careful consideration of site microclimate substrate and maintenance factors linked to the desired aesthetic functional and management outcomes for the project. Nodding onions are also sometimes referred to as lady s leek. A large and diverse genus of flowering plants with some 600 species sedums can shut down their systems in extreme heat and drought to keep from losing water to. It is native across canada and the eastern us.

Another allium that is native to the north america is the prairie onion allium stellatum.