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Growth habit
These
plants are small growing evergreen succulent semi creeping herbs, the
stems as
well as the leaves are highly succulent. They reproduce both
vegetatively as
well as by seed.
Decorative value
These
plants are extremely decorative groundcover having light green
succulent leaves
and a neat growth habit. Under increasing water stress the leave change
colour
to become an ever increasingly silver to yellow colour with pink
margins and
stems. They produce large masses of small white flowers over a very
long period
of time during the autumn and winter months.
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.
Suitability as Green Roof plants
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 ground cover plants to be used in mixed groundcover
plantings that
give them a little protection from the elements.
Biodiversity value in the Green
Roof landscape
They
create
good habitat and protection for other green roof dwellers. 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
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