Growth habit
These plants are small fast growing evergreen succulent mat-forming herbs, the stems as well as the leaves are highly succulent. They capable of rapid colonisation due to the fact that they reproduce, vegetatively, by seed and from plantlets that develop on the flower heads.

Decorative value
These plants are extremely decorative groundcover having large dark green succulent leaves and a neat growth habit. They produce large masses of small white to pink flowers over a very long period of time during winter months and early spring.

Drought resistance
In their natural habitat they are able to withstand reasonable periods of drought due to their very succulent nature. From my experience of growing these plants I have found them to be fairly drought resistant.

Disease and pest resistance
These plants are generally disease resistant, however they often in particular the flowers and flower stems become infested with mealy bug which are mostly introduced by and tended by ants. They are the larval host plants of two butterflies of the family Lycaenidae, Leptomyrina hirundo (tailed black eye) and Gonatomyrina gorgias gorgias (common black eye)

Suitability as Green Roof plants
From the results of the plants that are being tested under Green Roof conditions these plants certainly give the impression that they are going to be suitable Green Roof ground cover plants under certain conditions. They appear to be suitable to be used in mixed groundcover plantings that give them a little protection from the direct sun.

Biodiversity value in the Green Roof landscape
They are larval food plants for butterflies allowing these butterflies to become resident. When in flower they attract large numbers of pollinating insects in particular honey bees and small butterflies.

Cautions and precautions in the Green Roof application
None that I am aware of at the moment