The Green in Green Infrastructure: Plant
Selection, Design and Management in
Successful BMPs
Overview
 Sustainability
context for plants
context in green infrastructure
 Basic design principles; public aesthetic
acceptance
 Case studies
 Questions
 Plant
Symposium – Soil and Vegetation Management
for Stormwater Control
Steven N. Rodie, FASLA
Professor - Department of Biology
Director – Center for Urban Sustainability
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Sustainability Context
Look deep into
nature, and
then you will
understand
everything
better.
Albert Einstein
Landscapes Designed by “Nature”
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“You could look at nature as being like a catalog of
products, and all of those have benefited from a 3.8 billion
year research and development period. And given that
level of investment, it makes sense to use it.”
-Michael Pawlyn
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Combinations of plants in communities
Diverse selection of plant materials
Mix of fast growth/slow growth
Plant layering
Native plants when possible
Landscapes are never completed
Many subtle characteristics
Mulch used extensively
Minimized plant stress--correct plant
placement for aesthetics and function
https://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/#.Vj1mNcplWu4
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Adapted is also OK
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NEWANIP*
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Native [AND]
Ecologically well-adapted
Non-invasive
Plants
*from City of Omaha Environmental Element
Intelligent Care
Vivid Care
 Help
 Need
the public
understand the
environmental
value of green
infrastructure
 Interpretive
signage and
labeling
for
human
“intervention”
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Massing
creates
structure and
framework
Defined
edges reflect
care; also
lessen
maintenance
Green Infrastructure
is the interconnected
network of open spaces
and natural areas, such
as greenways, wetlands,
parks, forest preserves
and native plant
vegetation, that naturally
manages stormwater,
reduces flooding risk
and improves water
quality.
(http://greenvalues.cnt.org/green-infrastructure)
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Design (Dominance) Elements
Order
 Defined
bed
lines
 Massed plants,
massed
masses
 Appropriate
plant heights
 Color
 Texture
 Form
 Line
Repetition
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Site: Omaha Sewer Maintenance Facility (68th and Q)
Completion: Spring 2014
Funding and Research: EPA ORD and Region 7; USGS; City of
Omaha; Olsson & Assoc.; Felsburg Holt Ullevig; UNL Extension
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Questions?
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