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RESUME

Erika Mnahoncakova, Lubica Feriancova
Alternative Implementation of Plants on Building Roofs – Roof Gardens

Environmental issues have recently become so crucial that new, ecologically motivated criteria
for building construction in urban areas and their integration into the vegetation concept are
required. Within this integration, an important approach is the implementation of vegetation also
on rooftops and walls for its ability to regulate water management and positively impact climate
conditions, while making urban environments culturally and aesthetically more valuable. Roof
gardens, as a sort of alternative green space, represent an efficient way to have a positive
ecological, psychological and economic impact on human environments through vegetation.
Many domestic xerophytic perennial species with a good vitality are predetermined for use on
extensive green roofs. Considering the facts that perennials represent the widest ecological group
of ornamental plants, which includes species from geographically and ecologically diverse
locations, the selection has been focused on important species from the point of view of landscape
architecture, namely domestic, partly wild-growing or introduced xerophytic perennials. The
reason for choosing this ecological group of perennials is a certain analogy of climate, soil and
hydrological conditions between the technical environment of roofs and natural biotopes of
xerophytic plants on sunny and stony grasslands and field boundaries. Comparing 249 xerophytic
plants according to Ellenberg (1992), Dostál (1989), Jurko (1990), Kuťková (1991), Ondřej (1996)
and Marhold & Hindák (1998), 153 plant species have been chosen, which are domestic in
Slovakia, wild-growing and xerophytic (Feriancová, 2000). The selected species have ability to
provide the required colour effect during the whole vegetation period. A right combination of
complementary colours in the period of flowering and through applying certain compositional
elements of plantings, it is possible to achieve a high aesthetic quality of the landscape
architectural composition. These 33 species are described in more detail: Adonis vernalis L.,
Achillea millefolium L., Alyssum montanum L., Anthericum liliago L., Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd.,
Aurinia saxatiis (L.) Desv., Carlina acaulis L., Cerastium arvense L., Coronilla coronata L., Cota
tinctoria (L.) Gay, Dianthus deltoides L., Festuca ovina L., Filipendula vulgaris Moench, Geranium
sanguineum L., Globularia punctata Lapeyr., Inula hirta L., Linum perenne L., Potentilla arenaria
Borkh., Potentilla argentea L., Salvia pratensis L., Sedum acre L., Sedum album L., Sedum
sexangulare L., Sedum spurium Marsch.-Bieb., Sempervivum tectorum L., Senecio doria L., Stachys
byzantina K.Koch, Teucrium chamaedrys L., Teucrium montanum L., Thymus serpyllum L., Thymus
vulgaris L., Tithymalus cyparissias (L.) Scop., Tithymalus epithymoides L. Klotzsch et Garcke. The
description includes information on the family, synonymic names, distribution, living form, leaves,
flowers, fruits, seeds, planting scheme, reproduction, soil conditions, cultivars, possible medical
use, contraindications, other utilisation of plants and their parts, protection status, requirements
for growing in extreme conditions.

This publication aims to contribute to the implementation of nature base solutions on urban
rooftops in the form of extensive green roofs or roof gardens. These have a great potential to
enhance to the urban green infrastructure and the provision of ecosystem services, which is in
line with the targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020.

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