Living Umbrellas Designed by ENST Dr. Tilley Provide Natural Cooling to Beat the Summer Heat Sustainably

Now on sale at regional Sam's Club stores

Dave Tilley under canopies at Vigilante Coffee, College Park

Image Credit: Edwin Remsberg

April 20, 2021 TED KNIGHT, GRAHAM BINDER, AND SAMANTHA WATTERS

A University of Maryland faculty researcher and entrepreneur with the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources has given the standard patio umbrella an eco-friendly update and designed a living canopy that provides greater shade and natural cooling with the aesthetics of flowering vines for residential patios and porches, outdoor dining, and urban spaces alike — and they are now available for purchase at select Sam’s Club stores.

Living Umbrellas®, which produce natural blooms and shade from spring through fall, come with a smart, solar-powered irrigation system that knows when to water the plants. “All a user has to do is fill the water tank once a week, and it’s good to go,” explained Prof. Dave Tilley, the Living Umbrellas® inventor and founder, who is a faculty member in UMD’s Department of Environmental Science & Technology (ENST).

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