INNOVATION
Climbing plants add urban greenery
VERD° offers an innovative way to reuse biomass that would otherwise create additional waste – ideal in an urban city centre environment where waste management is already a complex process to keep efficient.
For OMC°C, seasonally harvested plants provide a new and efficient solution for urban greening
M osses and sedums are often favoured for green roofs and walls, but German startup OMC°C is taking a different approach, adding greenery to cities through seasonal climbing plants. The company provides textile-based planters for modular public summer gardens. The system, called ‘VERD°’, consists of wood and steel frames, planters made from 3D-printed recycled polypropylene, and biodegradable flax netting that supports the plants during vertical growth. Crucially, VERD° uses fast-growing, ‘annual’ climbing plants that complete their lifecycle within a single season, as opposed to ‘perennial’ plants, which live for a longer period. The use of annuals for urban greening offers several advantages; they require less water and space and do not become woody over time. The plants are harvested at the end of each season and the resulting biomass is recycled. Because this is done seasonally, there is no need for laborious pruning, and the installation won’t block out the sun in the winter. In between each harvesting cycle, the
which is provided through an automated irrigation system, the VERD° modules are largely self-sufficient once installed. OMC°C coordinates the planting of seeds in the spring and the harvesting of the dried plants and netting in the autumn – services that are provided through its partners. With up to 25 varieties of plant available for use in the VERD° system, the company customises the vertical gardens to the specific microclimate of each location. VERD° modules can be freestanding, fixed to the ground through concrete or screws, or attached to building facades. The first VERD° prototype was installed in the Senckenberg Naturmuseum in Frankfurt, and having launched in Germany, the company will soon be present in the UK with installations expected to be realised around 2026.
The plants are harvested at the end of each season and the resulting biomass is recycled
planters are filled with a proprietary mix of an organic, peat-free substrate that contains all the nutrients required for the growing season. Other than water,
The modular VERD° system, with its vertically climbing plants, is ideal for use in densely populated urban areas. Each garden is customised specifically to suit a particular location and purpose, and the lightweight design of the supporting structure is suitable for serial production. Because the plants follow a seasonal cycle, they require little maintenance, and the biomass collected during the harvest has economic value and can be reused.
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