Native species that have been grown successfully on extensive green roofs in Minnesota
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Scientific name Common name Plant height (feet) Approximate bloom time Flower color Sun exposure Found to require irrigation in some projects or studies Found to survive with little or no irrigation in some studies or projects
Allium cernuum Nodding Wild Onion 1 to 1.5 July-August Pink Full sun to part shade X3,4
Allium stellatum Prairie Wild Onion 1 to 2 July-August Pink Full sun to part shade
Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem 2 to 6 n/a n/a Full sun to part shade X1,2,*
Anemone patens Pasque flower 0.5 April-May Purple Full Sun to Part Shade
Antennaria neglecta Field pussytoes 0.5 April-June White Full Sun to Part Shade
Antennaria plantaginafolia Pussytoes 1 April-June White Full sun to part shade
Aquilegia canadensis Columbine 2 to 3 May-July Red/Yellow Full sun to part shade
Asclepias verticillata Milkweed 1 to 1.5 June-August White Full sun to part shade
Aster ericoides Heath aster 1 to 3 July-October White Full sun to part shade
Aster laevis Smooth aster 1 to 3 August-October Blue-violet Full sun to part shade X4
Aster lateriflorus Calico aster 2 August-October White Full sun to part shade
Aster macrophyllus Large-Leaved aster 1 to 2 August-October Lilac Full sun to part shade
Aster novae-angliae New England Aster 3 to 5 August-October Red-violet Full sun to part shade
Aster oolentangiensis Shyblue aster 3 August-October Blue Full sun to part shade
Aster sericeus Silky aster 1 September-October Purple Full sun to part shade
Bouteloua curtipendula Side-Oats Grama 1 to 3 n/a n/a Full sun X1,*
Bouteloua gracilis Blue Grama Harebell 0.5 to 1 n/a n/a Full sun X1,5,*
Campanula rotundifolia Harebell 1 to 1.5 June-September Blue Full sun to part shade
Carex pensylvanica Pennsylvania sedge 0.5 n/a n/a Full sun to full shade
Carex vulpinoidea Brown Fox Sedge 1 to 3 n/a n/a Full sun to part shade
Chamaecrista fasciculata Partridge Pea 2 to 3 July-September Yellow Full sun to part shade
Coreopsis palmata Bird's Foot Coreopsis 2 June-August Yellow Full sun to part shade
Dalea purpurea Purple Prairie Clover 1 to 2 June-July Yellow Full sun X4 X1
Fragaria vesca Wild strawberry 0.5 May-June White Full sun to part shade
Fragaria virginiana Wild strawberry 0.5 White Full sun to part shade X4 X1,*
Geranium maculatum Wild geranium 1 April-June Pink Full sun to full shade
Geum triflorum Prairie smoke 0.5 April-June Red Full sun to part shade X1,*
Heuchera richardsonii Alumroot 1 May-June Greenish white Full sun to full shade
Koeleria pyramidata June grass 2 n/a n/a Full sun to part shade X4 X1,2,3
Liatris aspera Rough Blazing Star 1.5 to 4 August-September Rose, lavender Full sun to part shade X4
Liatris cylindracea Cylindric Blazing Star 1 July-October Purple Full sun to part shade
Penstemon grandiflorus Large-Flowered Beard Tongue 2 May-June Purple Full sun to part shade
Phlox divaricata Woodland Phlox 0.5 to 1.5 April-June Blue Part shade to full shade
Polemonium reptans jacob's Ladder 1 April-June Blue Full sun to full shade
Ruellia humilis Wild Petunia 1 June-August Purple Full sun
Schizachyrium scoparium Little Bluestem 3 n/a n/a Full sun to part shade X4
Solidago nemoralis Gray Goldenrod 0.5 to 2 August-October Yellow Full sun
Solidago ptarmicoides Upland White Aster 1 July-August White Full sun
Sporobolus heterolepis Prairie Dropseed 2 to 4 n/a n/a Full sun to part shade X4 X1
Thalictrum dioicum Early Meadow-Rue 1 to 2 May Greenish yellow Full sun to part shade
Tradescantia bracteata Bracted Spiderwort 1 May-July Purple Full sun
Tradescantia occidentalis Western Spiderwort 2 May-July Blue Full sun
Tradescantia ohiensis Ohio Spiderwort 3 May-July Blue Full sun to part shade X3,4
Viola pedatifida Bearded Birdfoot Violet 0.5 April-June Purple Full sun to part shade

1Based on trial green roofs at Chicago Botanical Garden, Richard Hawke, Personal Communication
2Based on Kevin Carroll, personal communication, 2013.
3Based on research at Michigan State University, Rowe in Sutton et al 2012b
4Based on research at Michigan State University, Monterusso et al 2005. In this study, plants were irrigated the first growing season, and irrigation was then abruptly stopped July 10 of the second growing season, during an unusually warm and dry summer; plants were not irrigated at all during the third growing season.
5Based on observations at Phillips Eco-Enterprise green roof, The Kestrel Design Group personal communication, 2013.
*Goes dormant or turns brown with little or no irrigation in drought but rebounds when water is available again.