Survey of Suitable Plants for Cal Poly's Green Wall

Green wall technology is a growing industry in the United States and has been very successful for a several years throughout Europe. The objective of this survey was to study the success of several different species of plants on a vertical wall facing south at Cal Poly’s Horticultural Department Unit. At first the focus was aimed at using California native species, because it was thought that natives would be better acclimated to the exposure in this specific location. It became apparent that plants should not be selected for the wall based just on the fact that they are California natives. A new selection of plants was based on growth habit and requirements. The ideal growth habit for plants on this wall creates a creeping, or dense mat that does not extend more than two feet from the wall; bunch grasses and perennials are good examples, which also grow in low water, high light conditions.