Echium vulgare and Echium plantagineum: A Comparative Study to Evaluate Their Inclusion in Mediterranean Urban Green Roofs

Green roofs (GRs) are proposed to offset against numerous environmental and socio-economic concerns associated with climate change urban sprawl. In Mediterranean areas, protect conserve biodiversity through GRs, the use of native plant species from arid environments shallow roots is generally recommended. north Europe, Echium vulgare L. widely used on GRs for its tolerance abiotic stresses attractiveness bees; unfortunately, since this requires cold winters induce flowering warm wet summers vegetative growths, adaptability has been questioned. The current study based hypothesis that plantagineum can adapt better environment than E. offer blooms pollinators, thus providing important ecosystem service (UES) protecting entomofauna biodiversity. To compare vs. vulgare, both were grown studied extensive GR installed at ENEA Casaccia Research Center, in Rome, Lazio, Italy. comparative analysis performance two was several plant-related traits, including seed morphology, rosette stage, inflorescence, flower root-related their biological life cycle, most them showing significant differences (for example, area 1.42-fold major vulgare). information provided manuscript will be useful update herbarium records conservation biology. A dramatic water stress purposely applied before end hot summer season, while faced success imposed dehydration (88.4% vegetation cover), did not (7.5% presumably because biennial cycle which allow it complete maturation (only 46.9% percentage mature seeds respect 89.5% plantagineum). summary, as main result, work shows inclusion mixes meadow could represent a valuable alternative temperate safeguard pollinators allowing energy saving.