Vegetated roof

Hi Mary Ann, A vegetated roof can contribute to SSc5, but there are a few things to keep in mind: First, the selected species must be native or adapted to the local climate. I think its wise to play it safe and use the more strict definition of adapted, since the Reference Guide does include more than one. The definition on page 35 says that "adapted plants are cultivars of native plants that are adapted to the local climate and are not considered invasive species or noxious weeds." The key here is that they can't just be generally well suited to the climate - they must be cultivars of indigenous (native) species. The second important thing to note is that LEED Interpretation #10231 (which is applicable to LEED EBOM v2009 projects) sets up some additional constraints. This LI states that to qualify, a vegetated roof must be an intensive roof system with at least 6 inches of growing medium. Additionally, at least 6 varieties of sedum must be planted to provide a sufficient level of species diversity (if you decide to use sedum). Depending on the registration date of your project, LI #10231 may be something that your project is held to. Hope this helps! Trista