| Living roofs, or green roofs, provide ecosystem function to rooftops. Plant selection for living roofs in North America has been dominated by members of the Sedum genus and other rocky ecosystem plants. This paper investigates the Walnut Limestone barrens and glades communities as an appropriate ecosystem from which to choose plant species for use on living roofs in north central Texas. This study presents plant performance data from six months of monitoring five test module treatments and two field sites. Performance data suggests the Walnut barrens and glades are viable ecosystems to use as a template for plant selection. First growing season results indicate commercial growth medium substrate provides stability and predictability, while a native soil substrate provides resilience and an active seedbank for annual germination. Four species were identified as viable living roof candidates for north central Texas: Buchloe dactyloides, Muhlenbergia reverchonii, Opuntia phaeacantha var. major, and Yucca pallida. |
