College Park, MD--Living Canopies Ltd. is excited to offer the hospitality industry the world’s first and only Living Umbrella®. It is a patio-styled umbrella that has plants for its canopy instead of a sheet of plastic like old-fashioned umbrellas. It uses beautiful flowering plants, like Suntory’s Sun-Parasol Mandevillas, to shade and protect people naturally. The Edible Umbrella® makes urban farming possible where space is limited by growing fruits and vegetables above your head for easy access. Its smart, programmable, solar powered irrigation system makes care simple and easy.
The Living Umbrella® improves microclimates by lowering temperatures via evaporative cooling and shading. It is net carbon positive by avoiding the emission of 50 pounds of CO2 per umbrella. It reduces stormwater flows by acting as microstorage, similar to a forest canopy. It provides pollinator habitat when its deemed desirable. It supports human wellness via its biophilic design. Its living, dynamic canopy makes people feel better about themselves and about their world.
Restaurants, hotels, resorts, and theme parks that are trying to improve their guests’ health and environment have discovered that The Living Umbrella® is a splendid way to make customers happier. The experience of sitting beneath a Living Umbrella® while sipping on a glass of cabernet is pure, sharable joy.
Ecological engineers at the University of Maryland invented The Living Umbrella®, which is now patent-pending in the United States and European Union.