Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates

1. Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Tim Toland Assistant Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture A Pilot Study at SUNY-ESF DonLeopold Chair and Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Environmental and Forest Biology Terry Ettinger Greenhouse Manager, Department of Environmental and Forest Biology James Johnson Graduate Student, Department of Environmental and Forest Biology Growing Green Infrastructure Conference Syracuse, NY November 17, 2010

2. Eastern Ontario Dune

3. Alvar Pavement Barrens

4. Natural Growing Conditions Seneciopauperculus – balsam groundsel

5. Plants Selected Alvar Species Agropyrontrachycaulum – slender wheatgrass Aquilegia canadensis – wild columbine Artemisacampestrisvar.caudata– tall wormwood Asterciliolatus– aster Bromuskalmii – brome grass Campanula rotundifolia – American harebell Carexcrawei– Craw’s sedge Carexeburnea– ebony sedge Carexgranularis– sedge Carexvulpinoidea– brown fox sedge Danthonia spicata – poverty grass Deschampsiacespitosa – tufted hairgrass Fragaria virginiana –wild strawberry Geum triflorum – prairie smoke Hedyotis longifolia – pale bluet Juniperus communis – common juniper Juniperus horizontalis – creeping juniper Juniperus virginiana – eastern redcedar Muhlenbergia glomerata – spike or marshmuhly Oligoneuron album – upland white aster Penstemon hirsutus - hairy beardtongue Phlox divaricata– wild phlox Rhus aromatica – fragrant sumac Rosa blanda – meadow rose Saxifragavirginiensis – early saxifrage Schizachyrium scoparium – little bluestem Seneciopauperculus – balsam groundsel Solidago hispida – goldenrod Solidagonemoralis– gray goldenrod Solidagoohioensis – Ohio goldenrod Sporobolusheterolepis – northern prairie dropseed Symporicarpos albus - snowberry Zigadenus elegans var.glaucus– white camas Ziziaaurea– golden alexanders Selected Great Lakes Sand Dune Species Ammophilabreviligulata – beachgrass Deschampsia flexuosa – common hairgrass Elymus canadensis – Canada wild rye Prunus pumila var. depressa – sand cherry Salix cordata – dune willow Vitis riparia– dune grape

6. Plant Sources

7. Construction

8. Construction

9. Growing Media (donated by Carlisle)

10. Growing Media

11. Day 1

12. Day 1

13. Day 13

14. Day 21

15. Day 34

16. Day 57

17. Day 64

18. Day 134

19. Initial Observations

20. Tall wormwood, Artemisacampestris var. caudata Day 10 Day 134

21. Wild strawberry, Fragaria virginiana

22. Craw’s Sedge, Carexcrawii

23. Dune Willow, Salix cordata

24. Sandcherry, Prunus pumila var. depressa

25. Blooms Asterciliolatus Solidagoohioensis Campanula rotundifolia

26. Color/Texture

27. Insect Activity

28. Plant Performance Early saxifrage, Saxifragavirginiensis Pale bluet, Houstonia longifolia

29. White camas, Zigadenus elegans var.glaucus

30. Future Studies • Short Term • Overwintering • Drought Test

31. Gateway Building

32. Future Studies • Long Term • Media depth impacts • Media type • Planting composition • Additional species studies • Species life cycle studies • Biomass impacts

33. Questions? Contacts: Tim Toland (trtoland@esf.edu) Don Leopold(djleopold@esf.edu) Terry Ettinger (tlettinger@esf.edu) James Johnson (jkjohn03@syr.edu)