The benefits of a living wall, according to Habitat Horticulture, are cooling, extra insulation, reduction of energy costs and decreased carbon emissions.
Courtesy JoAnne Skelly
Recently, I was reading my Horticulture and Crop Science magazine from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and was fascinated by an article on living walls with gardens of plants growing vertically. Alumnus David Brenner has been creating beautiful living walls with his company Habitat Horticulture, https://habitathorticulture.com/ since 2010. One of his most famous walls is the “largest continuous living wall in the country at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art” that is 150 feet by 29 feet. It is filled with California native plants. Brenner first discovered living walls of plants in Europe and these inspired him to create his own systems of design, planting, irrigation and maintenance. The company’s website reports that “A living wall is a constantly evolving installation, and its ongoing success relies on maintenance and care.” Plant selection and irrigation are critical components. Their living walls irrigation systems are often completely automated, although some get by with filling up the reservoirs once per week. The company maintains their walls, either weekly, monthly or quarterly. The benefits of a living wall, according to Habitat Horticulture, are cooling, extra insulation, reduction of energy costs and decreased carbon emissions. They clean the air. Plants mitigate noise, whether from a freeway or an echo in a large room. Their outside living walls provide habitat for various organisms and increase biodiversity. A living wall is an efficient utilization of space and can be used by those with small patios, yards or in a tight urban environment to grow flowers, fruits, herbs and vegetables. And, just as traditionally planted greenery and flowers do, the plants of a living wall can promote mental and emotional well-being. Besides all these benefits, Habitat Horticulture’s wall installations are stunning pieces of living art. Plants “are rooted directly into the medium attached to the wall.” Doing this, rather than having a plant such as a vine grow across the wall, prevents damage to the wall surface. They claim their irrigation system doesn’t leak and does distribute water and nutrients evenly. Their planting medium doesn’t need to be replaced and allows plants to spread. Their products are 100 percent recycled using recyclable materials. Living plant walls are an ingenious solution for areas without horizontal planting space. The Chicago Botanical Garden has some living walls that are stunning. I saw a beautiful succulent wall near the bay in Port Townsend, Washington. I would love to see if this technique could be used successfully here in our arid, windy environment, with our large temperature fluctuations and late and early freezes. I wonder how challenging managing the irrigation would be. They certainly could be installed indoors in either small or large spaces. JoAnne Skelly is Associate Professor & Extension Educator Emerita at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Email her at skellyj@unr.edu
