Roofs & Rambles

Common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) is an excellent plant on green roofs. However it is vulnerable to drought and therefore needs to be in at least 150mm to really flourish. A good tip is to plant between a couple of logs. The logs provide a little shade and protection form the wind. This allows moisture to be retained, especially during dry periods in late summer.

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A beautiful plant, that is known to spread at ground level but due to constraints at roof level it tends to be invasive and take over. Being a plant of disturbed ground, dry grasslands and road verges, it is suited to life on the roof. It’s yellow flowers are very attractive, not only to the human eye, but to a range of invertebrates. Importantly it tends to flower late in the season, thus providing an important nectar source in August and September.
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Toadflax Brocade Moth’s caterpillars are feed on it’s leaves – this is a UK BAP species. A roof in south London planted in April 2009 with plugs of toadflax was home to a number of caterpillars by June.
A range of bees and other pollinators visit the yellow flowerheads for nectar including Buff-tailed, Red-tailed and White-tailed Bumble Bee and Common Carder bee and Honey Bees readily visit too.