Largest Living Green Wall in North America

Longwood Gardens green wave wall longest of all

Longwood Gardens new East Conservatory Plaza includes the largest indoor green wall in North America.

November 27, 2010 - The famed Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa., recently unveiled the largest living green wall in North America.

Until its dedication in October, the plants on the side of PNC's headquarters at One PNC Plaza, Downtown, held that distinction. What makes Longwood's even more unusual is its curved shape and location -- It's an integral part of the interior of Longwood's East Conservatory Plaza, which has been under construction for the past year.

Designed by famed British landscape architect Kim Wilkie, the 14-foot-high wall covers 4,072 square feet and contains 47,000 plants representing 25 species. It is watered by almost 4,000 feet of irrigation drip lines strategically placed throughout.

Stainless-steel panels hold the plants with coconut coir fiber planting media that was developed by GSky, a leading manufacturer of green wall systems. The system was developed to allow the 3,590 panels to move if necessary.

The undulating wall combines with the plantings to give the impression of a gentle green wave. Among the common plants used are spider plants, mosses, ivies and holly, rabbit's foot, asparagus and maidenhair ferns. {read rest}