Portulacaria
afra
Plant
suitable for use on Bio-Diverse Green Roofs in the Durban Area
Portulacaria
afra
is one of a number
of plant
species which are presently being tested for their
suitability to be grown as Green Roof
plants in the Durban region that have initially shown good results.
They all
occur naturally within a radius of 50 km of the Durban
city centre
These
plants occur naturally in the dry Umgeni River
valley in particular around the shores of the Inanda dam where they
usually
grow in rocky ground in full sun
Growth
habit
These
plants are medium to large growing evergreen succulent shrubs to small
trees
growing up to a height of 5 metres. Both the stems as well as the
leaves are
succulent. They primarily reproduce
vegetatively seeds seldom being produced in particular in the wetter
regions..
Decorative
value
These
plants are extremely decorative feature plants having pale green
succulent leaves
and a very neat growth habit. They very seldom produce flowers, in fact
I have
never seen one produce flowers in the Durban
area.
Drought
resistance
In their
natural habitat they are able to withstand very long periods of extreme
drought
due to their succulent nature. From my experience of growing these
plants I
have found them to be very drought resistant.
Disease
and pest resistance
These plants
are generally disease resistant.
Suitability
as Green Roof plants
From my many
years of experience with these plants and from indications of the
plants that
are being tested under Green Roof conditions these plants certainly
give the
impression that they are going to be excellent Green Roof feature
plants where
much larger plants are able to be grown.
Biodiversity
value in the Green
Roof landscape
They create
robust habitat and protection for other green roof dwellers. They are
often fed
on by bagworms and also attract large numbers of a very small light
green leaf
hopper.
Cautions and
precautions in the
Green Roof
application
They have fairly
vigorous and extensive root
systems so good root protection must be provided to protect the water
proof
membrane. Under most circumstance they may need to be pruned from time
to time.
Ecoman Durban Indigenous
Landscape Design Consultant
Bio-Diverse Indigenous Landscaping I design
landscapes and gardens that are Bio-Diverse as well as being pleasing
to the eye
Landscapes and Gardens that are Nature Friendly
I use my many years of
landscape planning and design as well as
landscape construction experience coupled to my vast knowledge of the
requirements of nature to create habitat suitable for birds,
butterflies and other creatures to live and breed in.
I
always apply the basic principles of good landscape design to create an
aesthetically pleasing garden that at the same time satisfies the
living requirements of the target creatures that I would like to
attract. My speciality is to attract birds, butterflies and solitary
bees. I design and build Bio-Diverse Roof Gardens
So
let Ecoman design and create a garden for you that will
be a haven for wildlife such as birds, butterflies, frogs and lizards
in the number of species comparable to Kruger National
Park.
For all of your Green Roof requirements contact Michael Hickman
Specialist in Green Roof Technology at +27 82 061 2593 or email at
info@ecoman.co.za
