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CLIFF PLANTS GO MAINSTREAM IN URBAN SETTINGS
Had the pleasure of perusing Cliff Ecology by Doug Larson, Uta Matthes and Peter Kelly over the winter of 2017/2018. As the season is wrapping up I realized it never got published. Since we are going to be exploring the role of ecological references in urban planting design at Reference: The Natural City I thought it would be a good warm up to go through some of the Niagara Escarpment plants identified in the book. Who knows maybe one day soon we will see the plants shown below growing happily on a building like Bosco Verticale in Toronto.
Photo by corno.fulgur75
First up and in no particular order:
Photo by anro0002
Photo by Atle Lundhaug
I just loved this Xanthoria elegens colour story…
Photo by pellaea
According to Lawson et al Cystopteris bulbifera along with Thuja occidentalis and Geranium robertifolium become predictable in local quarries abandoned for 70 yrs or more.
Cystopteris bulbifera
Photo by ArthurVailable
Cystopteris fragilis
Photo by Hugh Knott
Asplenium trichomanes
Photo by Ashley Basil
or the more commercially available Asplenium scolopendrium
Photo by Ashley Basil
Pallaea atropurpureaPhoto by Erutuon
Polypodium virginianum occurs on the niagara escarpment cliff face.
Photo by D.Eickhoff
or the more commercially available Polypodium vulgare
Woodsia invensis mentioned in the book while Woodsia obtusa is commercially available.
Sambucus pubens shrub cliff dweller also commercially available.
Photo by Holy Outlaw
Potentilla erecta
Photo by g e g e n l i c h t
Pinguicula vulgaris
Photo by Björn S…
Canada mayflower grows on plateau forest up to the cliff edge.
Photo by wplynn
Geranium robertianum occurs from the cliff face into the talus slope.
Photo by Dinesh Valke
According to Lawson Prunus, Rosa, Ribes, Rubus, Cotoneaster, Buxus, Juniperus, Thuja, Dianthus, Daphne, Sorbus, Hieracium, Saxifraga all occur on or near cliffs. These are all common ornamental plants!
In Europe plants that grow in walls include Sorbus aucuparia, Sedum Acre, Asplenium ruta-muraria, Polypodium vulgare and Tortula muralis.
Photo by cristina.sanvito
Sedum acre
Photo by anro0002
Species composition is determined in part by wall materials as well as aspect. Lawson et al provides examples of Poa annua as dominant on north facing wall of Trinity College at Cambridge UK while Festuca rubra and Sagina apetala are dominant on the south facing wall. According to Lawson et al the importance of local variation in rock texture, porosity and exposure also play a role. Lawson et al writes cliffs are habitats with minimal human disturbance colonized by non competitive disturbance sensitive plants that grow slowly. uh oh…
Lawson states that cliffs in different regions have few species in common but many genera appear in cliffs around the world. Juniperus, Cupressus, Thuja and Taxus are often the dominant trees on cliffs. Common fern genera on cliffs include Polypodium, Pellaea, Asplenium, Adiantum and Cystopteris.
Other species that showed up on the Niagara Escarpment that I thought were interesting…
Acer Spicatum
Photo by Superior National Forest
Ostrya virginiana grows in front of my house and is very happy…
Photo by cricketsblog
this reminds of the Coreopsis growing in cracks in the concrete at davenport and ossington.
Photo by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋)
Growing in the cracks of a building that was burned down in the 90’s at Dupont and Ossington.
Everyones favourite right now Asclepias syriaca.
Photo by wackybadger
three types of Aster (cordifolius, macrophyllus, and novae-angliae).
just plain weird category Conopholis americana
Photo by FritzFlohrReynolds
Solidago canadensis and flexicaulis also showed up…
Photo by anro0002
Photo by aarongunnar
Great post, Jonas!