A green roof utilises the many benefits of using vegetation as the exterior layer of a roof structure. A sedum roof is a type of green roof and one which is worth exploring if you are considering incorporating a green roof into your building.
What is sedum?
Sedum is a low growing plant from the family Crassulaceae, commonly known as stonecrops. It typically reaches a height of 2cm to 5cm and forms a tightly knitted carpet on a green roof. Sedum is an ideal plant for green roofs not only because it requires little maintenance but also because there are a wide variety of plants making it possible to create a beautiful low maintenance green roof.
Benefits of a sedum roof
A sedum roof offers a variety of benefits; one being that it creates little opportunity for weeds to take hold due to the way the plant grows into a tight mat of intertwined vegetation. This reduces the amount of maintenance needed to preserve the sedum roof.
Sedum is also an extremely adaptable plant and is drought tolerant. Because green roofs are not always easy to access, it’s not always possible or practical to tend to the roof. A sedum roof is low growing with shallow roots systems meaning that once your green roof is established it will not become overgrown and won’t require watering, deadheading or mowing; just a yearly feed, some weeding and a check to see that the green roof is draining well.
Sedum’s roots are also an added advantage for any green roof. The shallow root system means small quantities of growing medium are needed. This reduces the amount of weight that a green roof can potentially add to a structure and makes installation easier.
There are many varieties of Sedum and it’s possible to create beautiful roofs by mixing different types together. It also has the added advantage of being an evergreen meaning that it will not drop leafs and it will change colour with the seasons providing a beautiful display all year round.
Is a sedum roof right for you?
There are many benefits to incorporating a sedum roof within your building, but before you start picking out your sedums it is worth talking to an expert! There are many different types of green roof and which is right for you depends on a range of factors such as the location of your roof, the local environment, the building structure etc. At Viritopia Group Europe we provide green roof systems for every possible building and location.
