Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 10

PLANT PROFILE

THE BEAUTIFUL
PHEMERANTHUS CALYCINUS
BY DR. BRADLEY ROWE, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, EAST LANSING

Photo courtesy B. Rowe

In this edition of the Plant Profile, I am going to talk about one of
my favorite green roof plants, Phemeranthus calycinus (syn. Talinum
calycinum). The plant also is known by several common names
including flame flower, and rock pink.

I

was first introduced to this plant about 17 years ago when
Ed Snodgrass from Emory Knoll Farms gave me some plugs,
some of which were used in a replicated study on a campus
roof at MSU and some were planted on my doghouse. For
those of you familiar with T. calycinum, it is the same plant.
Taxonomists recently changed the scientific name from Talinum
calycinum to Phemeranthus calycinus, but I like most people
familiar with the plant will still think of it as Talinum calycinum.
Phemeranthus calycinus is a herbaceous perennial native
to the central southern United States from Texas north to
Nebraska and Illinois, west to Colorado and New Mexico, and
east to Illinois, Arkansas, and Louisiana. It is rated to grow

LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / FALL 2020 / 8

within USDA hardiness zones
5 to 9, however, I think that
classifying the species as a zone
5 plant is stretching the truth
as I have yet to see it survive
a Lansing, Michigan, winter
(zone 5). Even so, its attributes
justify its use as an annual in
colder climates and it reseeds
itself readily.
The species requires full
sun and typically grows 25

cm (10 in) tall with a similar
spread. Whether in the landscape at ground level or on a
roof, the major attraction is
its numerous vibrant flowers
that continue to bloom every
afternoon from late spring
until the first frost. Flower
color has been described
as everything from purple,
magenta, fuschia, rose red, to
rose pink, but I like the term
LIVINGARCHITECTUREMONITOR.COM


http://www.LIVINGARCHITECTUREMONITOR.COM

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020

Table of Contents
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - IP
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - Cover1
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - Cover2
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - Table of Contents
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 2
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 3
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 4
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 5
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 6
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 7
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 8
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 9
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 10
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 11
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 12
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 13
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 14
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 15
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 16
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 17
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 18
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 19
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 20
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 21
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 22
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 23
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 24
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 25
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 26
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 27
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 28
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 29
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 30
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 31
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 32
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 33
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 34
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 35
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 36
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 37
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - Cover3
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2020Winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2020Fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2020Summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2020Spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2019Winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2019Fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2019Summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2019Spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2018winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2018Fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2018summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2018spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2017winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2017fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2017summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2017Spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2016winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2016summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2016spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2015Winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2015fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2015summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2015spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2014winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2014fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2014spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2013winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2013fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2013summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2013spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2012fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2012summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2012spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2012winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2011fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2011summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2011spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2011winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2010fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2010summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2010spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2010winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2009fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2009summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2009spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2009winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2008fall
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com