Bouteloua gracilis - Blue Grama Grass Warm season tufted grass -Native to the U.S., grows up to 18 inches tall. Blue grama flowers June -August and is drought tolerant.
Carex nigra, black sedge, native plant to the Eastern US, successful in 6 or more inches of media.
Carex stricta - Tussock Sedge - U.S. Native that forms a dense clump with beautiful bright green foliage. Originating from wetlands, this grass is successful in 6 or more inches of soil media.
Danthonia spicata - Poverty Oat Grass - a U.S. Native, drought tolerant, Unique foliage, flowers in late Spring.
Deschampsia flexuosa, an Eastern US native, forms tidy clumps of green foliage with red tips, 8" tall, with tall spring flower spikes.
Festuca ovina Ridu - Hard Fescue - a cool-season grass . It does well in low fertility soils and other harsh conditions such as high amount of salt. Clump forming grass with blue-green foliage.
Festuca ovina/glauca 'Elijah's Blue, 12" mounds of gray-blue grass, 18" flower spikes, as shown above. 6" of soil or more.
Festuca ovina 'Covar' - Sheep Fescue - Beautiful green color foliage and great as an accent plant
Festuca rubra - Red Fescue - U.S. Native - very smooth and textured plant with splashes of red and green. Great as an accent plant for your green roof.
Sedum acre, a yellow-flowered, short-statured plant that does well on cold climate roofs, or in shade. This species, along with sexangulare, looks the most like sod when fully grown in.
Sedum acre Aureum, similar in performance to sedum acre, with pale whitish-yellow tips to all its shoots, especially in spring. Yellow flowers every May-June.
Sedum acre 'Oktoberfest' is identical to the pure species except its flowers are white, not yellow.
Sedum aizoon - 18" tall - accent plant - extremely cold hardy with yellow flowers every August!
Sedum album, a real green roof workhorse, this has white flowers every June, and can be counted on to spread well even in shallow media.
Sedum album about to burst into bloom.
Sedum album chloroticum has tiny round leaves and forms low mats much like album 'Faroe Form' does, but with a pale green color.
Sedum album 'Faroe Form", red in winter as shown above, a tiny version of regular sedum album. Tiny white flower spikes in July, this sedum creeps along surfaces, tumbling over edges.
Sedum album 'Red Ice' is a small-statured album with red leaves no matter the season, introduced by Ed Snodgrass of Emory Knoll Farms.
Sedum cyaneum "Rose Carpet"
Sedum anacampseros, an unusual species. Though not a mat-former like many green roof plants, this is a stunning plant that can be used as an accent in visible locations. Hardy to zone 5, with pink flowers each June.
Sedum divergens - U.S. Native - great foliage color in fall - green all summer long and fast spreading! Yellow flowers.
Sedum grisbachii - self sows in growing season - brighter green than Sedum sexangulare
Sedum cauticola, purply-gray foliage, 6-8" tall, not a mat former, but an accent plant with its striking foliage color.
Sedum cauticola Lidakense, a much more densely-growing cultivar than the species, but with gray-green foliage instead of purple.
Sedum cyaneum 'Rose Carpet' forms low tight mats of pink and green leaves, no taller than 3 inches.
Sedum x Czar's Gold, a lovely kamschaticum hybrid, has yellow flowers and denser foliage than pure kamschaticum.
Sedum ellecombianum 'Spirit', similar to kamschaticum but with brighter green leaves and denser foliage.
Sedum ewersii forms tight mats with its tiny gray-green leaves. Needs to be planted in spring rather than fall.
Sedum floriferum 'sichotense' is another kamschaticum relative, and has tall green foliage, up to 10", dense yellow flowers, and turns scarlet in the fall.
Sedum floriferum sichotense getting redder towards autumn.
Sedum floriferum Weihenstephaner Gold, technically a kamschaticum selection, is a green roof favorite for its willingness to cover the ground effortlessly from plugs or cuttings. Yellow flowers each May/June.
Sedum hispanicum forms very low, dense, carpets and mounds with its tiny blue leaves, which change color from green to purple depending on water and nutrient conditions.
Sedum japonicum looks like small, tidy sedum album, with red stems and yellow flowers in June.
Sedum kamschaticum, another green roof workhorse, with yellow flowers every June, 6-10 inches tall.
Sedum kamschaticum variegatum has white-edged leaves, with pink buds and yellow flowers. Not quite as fast a grower as the pure species, but holds its own quite well on the roof.
Sedum lydium, a tiny, often overlooked sedum, with 2" tall stems and sweet white flowers each May. Gold/red in the fall.
Sedum middendorfianum striatum, a low-growing plant no taller than 4". It quietly covers the ground with its delicate green and red leaves.
Sedum oreganum, a native US species, with glossy fat leaves, no taller than 4".
Sedum pachyclados forms low mats of gray-blue, angular leaves. It flowers white each May.
Sedum pachyclados
S. phedimus takesimensis - great lime green foliage color and yellow flowers!
Sedum populifolium is so named for its leaves which resemble those of a poplar tree. It is the only cold-hardy sedum which has woody stems, making a 1 foot high sub-shrub.
Sedum pulchellum. Its Latin name means 'beautiful', and this sedum lives up to its name. Native to the eastern US, this 10" tall plant flowers pinkish white each May and June, forming dense clumps.
Sedum ochroleucum - very similar to S. reflexum 'Blue Spruce', but the big difference is more pink color and rounder leaflets.
Sedum reflexum 'Angelina', a densely growing form of reflexum, with pale green foliage that turns orange, gold and red in fall.
Sedum reflexum (aka rupestre) Blue Spruce looks much like its namesake, except that it doesn't grow above 8 inches tall. It doesn't spread horizontally much, just forms a vertical contrast to its neighbors. A solid drought-tolerant plant.
Sedum rupestre - similar and sometimes mistaken for Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce'. Smooth, finer foliage with a beautiful winter color.
Sedum sarmentosum. The most aggressive sedum, to the point of serious invasiveness anywhere warmer than zone 5. Not recommended except in special circumstances that warrant its invasive ability. Yellow flowers each July, trailing habit.
Sedum sediforme, aka nicaense, is a fleshy, rangy species that is similar to reflexum but much more succulent. Hardy to zone 5, not a fast grower but attractive as an accent.
Sedum sexangulare, a yellow-flowered, low-growing workhorse. No taller than 4", this plant will tolerate the shallowest media and longest drought.
Sedum sieboldii is a clump-forming beauty with blue-gray leaves rimmed in red. It gets to about 9 inches tall, and prefers at least 4 inches of media.
Sedum spurium 'Summer Glory', a fabulous choice for a roof. This indomitable plant gives sprays of fuchsia flowers every July, and spreads rapidly without being invasive.
Sedum spurium 'Summer Glory' starting to bloom.
Sedum spurium 'Voodoo' is the reddest sedum year-round, with red leaves and red flowers in July.
Sedum spurium 'Coccineum' mixes red and green in its foliage year round, becoming redder in winter, greener in the lush growth of spring. Flowers are crimson.
Sedum spurium 'Dragons Blood' - beautiful red foliage color year round with a hint of green.
Sedum spurium 'Fuldaglut' in flower. Another popular choice for roofs, can tolerate even 2 inches of media.
Sedum spurium 'John Creech' forms low mats of tidy round leaves, with pink flowers every July.
Sedum spurium tricolor, a variegated spurium with pink, white, and green foliage.
Sedum spurium 'White Form" is a solid spurium cultivar with white flowers every July.
Sedum tatarowinii, an unusual species, has dense white flowers in August and September, and gray-green foliage, divided like a fern's. Clump rather than mat forming.
Sedum tatarowinii has delicate, divided leaves reminiscent of a fern.
Sedum x Emperor's Wave is a clump-forming sedum with large, long leaves.
Sedum x Emperor's Wave, just about to bloom in September
Sedum telephioides is a common naturalized sedum on the East coast, found in damp, shady locations. It thrives on shady roofs, and is not a spreader- it forms clumps to 8" tall.
Sedum ternatum is one of the few sedums native to the US, and it loves shade. Its creamy white flowers come each May.
Allium schoenoprasum, chives, a very successfull green roof plant for shallow media. Full sun or part shade. Purple blooms in May-June.
Antennaria sp., has fuzzy gray-green leaves in low rosettes. It is native to dry hillsides throughout the US, and on a roof needs at least 6 inches of media.
Armeria maritima, sea thrift, a spring bloomer in 6" or more of media, full sun.
Delosperma cooperi, from South Africa, has lush succulent leaves and is covered in fuchsia daisy-like flowers all summer long. Hardy to zone 5.
Delosperma nubigenum, also a South African native, has short succulent leaves, yellow flowers, good consistent blooms, hardy to zone 4.
Delosperma sutherlandii, hardy to zone 6
Jovibarba sp can get as large as Sempervivums when given the space.
Jovibarba sp., surrounded by offsets. Extremely drought-tolerant and winter hardy. Flowers occasionally, yellow on a spike.
Opuntia humifusa, prickly pear cactus. This species is native to the eastern US (yes, really), hardy to zone 5, likes at least 5" of media on the roof. This species has no long thorns, just fine hair-like prickles. Yellow flowers each summer.
Orostachys malacophyllus, between a sedum and sempervivum in growth habit, hardy to Zone 5, pink flower spikes every fall.
Orostachys in bloom
Phlox subulata, US native needing at least 6" of soil. A familiar garden plant, cascading down rock faces.
Sempervivum sp.
Sempervivum sp, also known as hens and chicks, do indeed flower quite showily. Usually the mother plant dies thereafter, and leaves a scattering of chicks (offsets) in her wake.
A sempervivum nestled in a bed of hispanicum, covered in dew.
Talinum calycinum - annual in zone 5 to north but self sows. Beautiful purple flower stalks in July-frost only when the sun is out!
Creeping thyme is an excellent green roof plant in media 6" or more. Its leaves are fragrant when walked on.
