Plant Finder

User Guidelines

The Plant Finder is a multi-faceted tool to assist designers, contractors, maintenance personnel, community groups and the general public in selecting plants that perform well within the public right-of-way. It expands on the lists included in previous versions of the Manual and should be used in conjunction with the guidance provided in the Landscape Chapter.

The Plant Finder database is not comprehensive and there is no guarantee that these plants will survive at a specific site. All plants within the public right-of-way must be selected based on site-specific conditions and approved by the appropriate agency or agencies with jurisdiction. Download the Plant Finder User Guide for instructions on how to use the tool.

The information in this database was generated by DOT, Parks, other agency staff, and local horticulture professionals based on their first-hand knowledge as well as from existing resources. Download the Plant Finder References page for a full list of sources.

Plant Basics

Characteristics

Tolerances

A wide shot of two Cedrus deodara trees against a bright sky, in front of a brick bridge.

Common:

Deodar Cedar

Scientific:

Cedrus deodara

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-50 ft

Spread:

30-40 ft

Shape:

Rounded Pyramidal

Fruit:

Upright cones (to 4" long)

Foliage:

Needles (to 1.25" long) appear in clusters

Fall:

Evergreen

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

7a - 8a

Drought tolerant once established.

Care must be taken when selecting this plant for the right-of-way to ensure proper site conditions are met.

Cedar of Lebanon

Common:

Cedar of Lebanon

Scientific:

Cedrus libani

'Stenocoma'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-60 ft

Spread:

30-50 ft

Fruit:

Cones (3"-4" long) mature in fall every other year

Foliage:

Needles range from green to glaucous blue-green, but are generally dark green in summer

Fall:

Evergreen

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Unknown

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

5a - 7a

Other:

ALB Host

'Stenocoma' is a columnar form noted for having better winter hardiness.

Drought tolerant once established.

Care must be taken when selecting this plant for the right-of-way to ensure proper site conditions are met.

Sugarberry

Common:

Sugarberry

Scientific:

Celtis laevigata

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

60-80 ft

Spread:

60-80 ft

Shape:

Columnar

Bloom:

Insignificant, mostly monoecious, greenish flowers appear in spring, with male flowers in clusters and female flowers solitary

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Black drupe fruit with a hard seed covered by thin flesh. The fruit is 0.25" in diameter and is sweet and edible

Foliage:

Ovate to oblong-lanceolate, rough-textured, untoothed, glossy to dull green leaves (2"-4" long) have mostly uneven leaf bases

Fall:

Undistinguished yellow fall color

Bark:

Smooth, light gray bark with corky ridges and slender brown stems

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

6a - 9a
Leaf icon

Collections:

Common:

Magnifica hackberry

Scientific:

Celtis occidentalis

'Magnifica'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-60 ft

Spread:

40-60 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Insignificant, mostly monoecious, greenish flowers appear in spring, with male flowers in clusters and female flowers solitary.

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Orangy-red fleshy drupe fruit with flesh surrounding a hard seed that can break teeth. Ripens in September-October. It is edible, and has a sweet date taste.

Foliage:

Ovate to oblong-ovate, rough-textured, glossy to dull green leaves (2"-5" long) have mostly uneven leaf bases and are coarsely toothed from midleaf to acuminate tip.

Fall:

Undistinguished yellow fall color.

Bark:

Unattractive, corky gray bark with stems appearing zigzagged.

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Urban (rubble/fill), Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

3a - 9b

'Magnifica' is a tough tree selected for its fast growth and resistance to insects. Tolerant of drought, wet soils, and urban conditions.

An image of Celtis occidentalis, with dense green foliage that overshadow the sidewalk.

Collections:

Common:

Hackberry

Scientific:

Celtis occidentalis

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-60 ft

Spread:

40-60 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Insignificant, mostly monoecious, greenish flowers appear in spring, with male flowers in clusters and female flowers solitary.

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Orangy-red fleshy drupe fruit with flesh surrounding a hard seed that can break teeth. Ripens in September-October. It is edible, and has a sweet date taste.

Foliage:

Ovate to oblong-ovate, rough-textured, glossy to dull green leaves (2"-5" long) have mostly uneven leaf bases and are coarsely toothed from midleaf to acuminate tip.

Fall:

Undistinguished yellow fall color.

Bark:

Unattractive, corky gray bark with stems appearing zigzagged.

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

3b - 9a

Other:

Native, ALB Host

Attracts birds and butterflies. Tolerant of drought and air pollution.

An eye-level image of Cephalanthus occidentalis with varying leaf shades of green, located next to a street.

Common:

Buttonbush

Scientific:

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

5-12 ft

Spread:

4-8 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Tiny, tubular, 5-lobed, fragrant white flowers appear in dense, spherical, long-stalked flower heads (to 1.5" diameter) in early to mid-summer

Blooming period:

Jun

Fruit:

Small nutlets that are held in 1" diameter globular balls. Before drying, they are green with red highlights

Foliage:

Ovate to elliptic glossy bright green leaves (to 6" long) are in pairs or whorls

Fall:

Usually greenish-yellow to yellow

Bark:

Coarse stems. Color varies from gray-brown to shiny olive. Older stems become reddish-brown and the lenticels enlarge into fissures

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 9a

Other:

Native
An image of Cercidiphyllum japonicum with predominantly green leaves, with occasional yellow leaves.

Collections:

Common:

Katsura Tree

Scientific:

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-60 ft

Spread:

25-60 ft

Shape:

Rounded Upright

Bloom:

Tiny flowers (red on male trees and green on female trees) appear in spring before the foliage but are not particularly showy

Blooming period:

Mar - Apr

Fruit:

Small pods borne 2-4 on stalk. Pods release thin winged seeds

Foliage:

Cordate, round-oval leaves (to 4" long) resemble those of a small redbud. Leaves emerge reddish purple in spring and mature to medium green with a slight bluish tinge in summer

Fall:

Leaves turn quality shades of gold, orange and red in the fall. Although not aromatic, the fallen autumn leaves have been described as smelling of cinnamon, burnt sugar or ripe apples

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

5a - 8a

Other:

ALB Host

Attracts butterflies. Not drought tolerant.

An image of Cercis canadensis ('Forest Pansy' cultivar) planted in a grey planter, illustrating its red leaves, with the Barclays Center in the background.

Collections:

Common:

Eastern Redbud

Scientific:

Cercis canadensis

'Forest Pansy'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

20-30 ft

Spread:

25-35 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Stunning pea-like rose-purple flowers which bloom profusely on bare branches in early spring. Flowers (to ½” wide) bloom in clusters of 4-10

Blooming period:

Mar - Apr

Fruit:

Flowers are followed by flattened leguminous bean-like dry seedpods (to 2-4” long) that mature to brown in summer

Foliage:

Alternate, simple, cordate, broadly ovate to nearly orbicular, (3-5” across) have a papery texture and are short pointed at the tip

Fall:

Leaves turn attractive shades of reddish-purple and orange

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

None

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

5a - 9b

Other:

Pollinator

'Forest Pansy' is a purple-leaved cultivar of the popular Missouri native redbud tree. Fall color is variable, but often includes attractive shades of reddish-purple and orange.

A medium shot of a young Cercis canadensis tree, with abundant green leaves.

Collections:

Common:

Eastern Redbud

Scientific:

Cercis canadensis

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

20-30 ft

Spread:

25-35 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Flowers (to 0.5" wide) bloom in clusters of 4-10

Blooming period:

Apr

Fruit:

Flattened legume pods, 2"-3" long which change from green to dark brown in October. These are a possibly a detraction.

Foliage:

Alternate, simple, cordate, broadly ovate to nearly orbicular, dull green to blue-green leaves (3"-5" across) have a papery texture and are short pointed at the tip.

Fall:

Leaves turn pale yellow to greenish-yellow in fall. Can be showy.

Bark:

Bark on stems is glabrous and reddish-brown to dark brown. Older branches have a scaly dark brown bark that exfoliates some to reveal orangish inner bark. Somewhat ornamentally appealing.

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

None

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

5b - 8a

Attracts butterflies.

An image of Cercis canadensis var. alba next to a highway, which is blossoming with white flowers.

Collections:

Common:

Eastern Redbud

Scientific:

Cercis canadensis var. alba

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

20-30 ft

Spread:

25-35 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Pea-like white flowers (to ½” wide) bloom profusely on bare branches before foliage emerges in clusters of 4-10.

Blooming period:

Mar - Apr

Fruit:

Flowers are followed by flattened leguminous bean-like dry seedpods (to 2-4” long) that mature to brown in summer. Each pod has 6-12 seeds. Pods may remain on the tree into winter.

Foliage:

Alternate, simple, cordate, broadly ovate to nearly orbicular, dull green to blue-green leaves (3-5” across) have a papery texture and are short pointed at the tip.

Fall:

Leaves turn pale yellow to greenish-yellow in fall.

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

None

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 9b

Forma alba has white flowers.
 

Download CSV