10 hardy plants for a sunny roof terrace

A roof garden is always a world of its own. Usually in the midst of a lively, urban life, it is often perceived as a place of retreat - as a piece of nature in the middle of the city. However, in order for this to actually work, the planting in particular must meet special requirements. In other words, not every plant is suitable for a roof terrace - especially not when it is sunny.

particularities

The special location means that in most cases roof terraces are always exposed to direct sunlight. It can happen that higher neighboring houses donate shade. However, that shouldn't be the norm. Also due to the location is that a roof is not necessarily a wind-protected location.

Finally, it is important to remember that plants in a roof garden are very often cultivated in large planters. If you want to avoid taking the heavy buckets down from the roof twice a year and back again in the spring hauling up should definitely focus on plants that are hardy when making your selection are. The indispensable overwintering can then take place on site without any problems, there is no need to tow it. However, some protection is usually required for individual plants. The following selection of plants is therefore exclusively hardy plants.

flowering plants

Blossoms give every roof terrace that certain something in summer. Flowering plants should therefore definitely be taken into account when equipping the roof garden. In principle, all common balcony plants that love sunny weather and are naturally hardy are suitable for this. These three are particularly good for this:

Japanese Azalea(Azalea japonica / Rhododendron japonicum)

A floriferous, low-growing ornamental shrub that remains green all year round. The flowering period is in April and May. Depending on the species, white, red, pink or orange flowers are formed.

Stella de Oro Daylily(Hemerocallis hybrid Stella de Oro)

A species of lily that produces funnel-shaped, rich yellow flowers that bloom from April to October. It reaches a height of 20 to 40 cm.

Hanging bell flower "Trollkind"(Campanula poscharskyana)

A fascinating variety of bluebells that bloom from June to September. The flowers of the plant are blue in color and radial in shape.

Most flowers of plants are very sensitive to wind. On a roof terrace, the usually rather low-growing specimens should always be combined with higher-growing plants. This allows you to create a windbreak in a natural way. Over the winter, it is also advisable to cover the respective flowering plant with fleece, leaves or brushwood.

grasses

A planting with grasses is ideal for a roof garden. Your big advantage: You can partly act as a privacy screen and as a windbreak. Most grasses are also very decorative and relatively easy to care for. However, in order for them to reach an impressive size, they must be cultivated in large planters - the roots must be able to penetrate relatively deeply into the soil. These grasses are particularly impressive:

Fox Red Sedge(Carex buchananii)

A downright classic ornamental grass that has a very special appeal thanks to its reddish-brown colour. After all, it grows up to 50 cm high.

riding grass(Calamagrostis acutiflora)

A herbaceous type of grass that grows very dense and heavily branched. Since it can also grow up to 1.50 m high, this grass is perfect for privacy and wind protection.

hedge bamboo(Fargesia robusta)

A bamboo variant that is actually suitable for forming a hedge. It grows extremely fast, very dense and can reach several meters in height.

Virtually all types of grass are very undemanding and require little attention. As a rule, they are also extremely robust and can withstand adverse weather conditions.

climbing plants

Climbing plants are also a classic when it comes to furnishing the roof terrace. They can either be planted on walls or on special climbing aids. Climbing plants are particularly suitable for giving the roof garden a truly green touch. Provided with a trellis, they can also be used as a demarcation or privacy screen. If they are planted on walls, however, one should note that they can sometimes damage the masonry considerably. If you are not the owner of the building yourself, you must obtain the landlord's permission before planting climbing plants on a wall. With these climbing plants you can hardly go wrong on the roof terrace:

ivy(Hedera Helix)

Alongside Virginia creeper, ivy is, so to speak, the classic among climbing plants. If it is planted directly against a wall, there is a high probability that there will be considerable damage to the masonry.

Evergreen honeysuckle(Lonicera henryi)

This climbing plant, on the other hand, does not damage walls and is therefore perfect for greening unsightly walls on or in the roof garden.

climbing hydrangea(Hydrangea petiolaris)

The climbing hydrangea should also not necessarily be planted on a wall, but rather on a climbing aid. Also, it's not green all year round.

Wild Wine(Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris)

Virginia creeper is undoubtedly one of the most popular climbing plants. It can be particularly magnificent and lush in summer and autumn. When used on the roof terrace, however, you should take a very close look at which species is being planted. Because: Most species are hardy, but not all.

Climbing plants may need regular pruning. Depending on your taste, you should just let them grow wild.

shrubs

Shrubs are also almost perfect for a roof garden. In general, they are very easy to care for and have enormous resilience. However, you should be careful: Some species are poisonous and should therefore be treated with caution. Typically, trees and shrubs are cultivated on the roof terrace in a large planter. The following types are particularly suitable for this:

barberry(Berberis vulgaris)

A tried and tested shrub with thorns that does well in a sunny to semi-shady location. It grows up to three meters tall and flowers from May to June.

yew(taxus baccata)

An evergreen plant that occurs either as a shrub or as a small to medium-sized tree. The yew is very poisonous. The main problem is the poison Taxin B., which it contains.

Thuja(thuja)

An evergreen shrub a small tree perfect for hedging. An effective privacy screen can be created relatively quickly from several Thuja plants that are cultivated next to each other.

More plants

There are a whole range of other plants that can be used to decorate a roof garden. There are, for example, various types of herbs, many of which are also hardy. In summer you can of course also grow vegetables on the roof. On the other hand, if you prefer fruit, you should think about putting up the dwarf version of a fruit tree. These are now available from almost every fruit tree species. Most of them are also suitable for container planting. However, it is important that the respective breed is actually hardy. This must be taken into account before purchasing. You should also be aware that such a miniature fruit tree in a pot can become very heavy. Transport is often no longer possible.

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