Test Bed

While many of our members know about the green roof, most haven't heard of the test bed 10 feet away from the roof. The test bed contained synthetic soil at approximately the same depth as the roof, and prospective rooftop plants were first grown on the test bed to see how they would do. Unfortunately, the oak trees in the area ended up covering the test bed in shade most of the time, while almost all of the roof is exposed to full sun. We have already established numerous native Texas flowers on the roof, but the test bed remains from its initial use.

There's a large paddle cactus growing in the test bed that has grown over the years from a small plant to a branching behemoth. It has flowered in the past, and its fruit and leaves are covered in spines, so it is highly recommended to not touch any part of the cactus, even if it looks safe.

We also planted hundreds of lemon mint seeds and a native flower mix in the test bed. There are a few bluebonnets left, but the majority of the flora is lemon mint, the paddle cactus, and sedum "angelina". 

Sedum "Angelina" flowering

Other flowering plants!