The popularity of green roofs continues to grow throughout the Southeast, as the advantages of green roofs–improving stormwater management and mitigating urban heat islands–become more widely appreciated. Green roofs even offer the potential to enhance local biodiversity and provide wildlife habitat and pollinator resources. 

You can use the Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox to research and select plants for your green roof design. Use the search term “green roof” to see the recommended species (27 entries so far). The recommended species are a mix of native and exotic grasses and wildflowers, many of which are highly drought-tolerant. 

If you’re considering adding a green roof to an existing structure, remember that the roof must be able to bear the added weight of water, plants and growing medium. A structural engineer should inspect the roof and the planting plan before you begin. When you select plants on the Plant Toolbox, you can use the “Add” button to add the plants to your shopping list, which you can take to the nursery or share with your landscape designer. A

Plant Toolbox green roof plants

Plant Toolbox Help Page

More from Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

• How to Search by Plant Name (or watch the 2-minute video tutorial)
• How to Use Tags to Search for Plant Characteristics 
• How to Search for NC Native Plants (2-minute video tutorial)
• How to Find Pollinator-Attracting Plants (3-minute video tutorial)
• How to Plan for Year-Round Availability of Flowers for Pollinators (2-minute video tutorial)
• Find a Plant for Specific Garden Conditions Using Search Filters (or watch the 2-minute video tutorial)
• How to Use the QR Code (2-minute video tutorial)