A new green roof on the agricultural building at Southern Illinois University will explore native non-sedum varieties as well as cover, including: pre-vegetated sedum mat.  The project, headed by Professor Karen Midden, will monitor several green roof system types, from modular to built-in-place assemblies.

The University of Southern Illinois plans to research run-off quality and storm water detention, media blends, and expanding the current monoculture use of sedum plants common in Extensive green roof systems by researching natives plants to use in such environments.   The current methodology of green roof construction has been blindly followed in the U.S. market but it is not exactly suited to the broad range of continental U.S. climates.  The standard of green roof construction followed has been set by the Forschungsgesellschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau (FLL) or translated, the German  Research Society for Landscape Development and Landscape Design.  However, the the geographical environment for green roof construction is very narrow in this standard and the use of sedum plants as a palette for green roof construction excessive.

Professor Midden’s effort will be assisted by contributions from MidWest Trading Horticultural Supplies of Volo, Illinois; Pizzo and Associates of Leland, Illinois; and, Green Roof Solutions, Inc. of Glenview, Illinois.  The three companies have been significant suppliers to the Chicago green roof market which leads the US in construction of green roofs by a wide margin.