It would appear that not all native Ohioans dread the scorching summers typical in our region. In fact, members of UC’s biology department recently identified two plants that thrive under the same conditions that send humans running for air-conditioned shelter.
A pilot study conducted by UC biology student Jill Bader and assistant professor of biology Ishi Buffam found that of four native Ohio plants tested, the nodding wild onion (Allium cernuum) and a European sedum (Sedum acre) are particularly well suited for the vegetated roofs becoming increasingly common—and which the pair hope to help popularize even further—in local green building practices.
Green roofs have been utilized in many cities to address environmental issues, from air pollution and street noise to excess stormwater runoff. According to Buffam, however, most of the plants currently used on green roofs are not native to the region.
“We aim to help inform policy and details of green roof construction and implementation by increasing the knowledge base,” Buffam says.
The results of the study, which Buffam and Bader presented earlier this month at the CitiesAlive 2012 conference in Chicago, confirm earlier studies which have found the nodding wild onion to be a successful green roof plant.
“It was exciting to see everyone coming together to share research data, case studies and ideas for increasing green roof adoption as a solution for the environmental issues created by urbanization,” Bader says.
“In order for green roof installations to become more widely adopted in the region, more guidance supported by research data is needed,” says Buffam. “Especially as it relates to the selection of green roof plants and the ecosystem services they provide. [Such research] is extremely important to the efforts of municipalities, businesses and environmental agencies who utilize green roofs in their efforts at reducing stormwater runoff and protecting the quality of our surface waters.”
Buffam and Bader direct those interested in learning more about green roofs to the Civic Garden Center’s Green Learning Station, a roundup of “…responsible methods to grow gardens anywhere and everywhere: yards, rooftops, walls, patios, driveways and parking lots.”
By Hannah Purnell
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