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

An image of the Clethra alnifolia ('Hummingbird' cultivar) shrub, showing its green foliage and fragrant white flowers that are positioned in spiky clusters.

Common:

Sweet Pepperbush

Scientific:

Clethra alnifolia

'Hummingbird'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

2-4 ft

Spread:

3-5 ft

Shape:

Upright

Bloom:

Sweetly fragrant white flowers which appear in narrow, upright panicles (racemes to 2"-6" long)

Blooming period:

Jul - Aug

Fruit:

Flowers give way to dark brown seed capsules (1/8" diameter) which may persist into winter

Foliage:

Serrate, obovate to oblong, glossy dark green leaves (to 3"-4" long)

Fall:

Leaves turn variable but generally attractive shades of yellow to golden brown in fall

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

3a - 9a

Other:

Native, Pollinator

'Hummingbird' is compact cultivar selected to be more floriferous than the species.

Tends to sucker and spread. Prefers moist soil, but is drought tolerant.

Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

DEP Residential Plan 2 and Especially Shady Plan.

Sweet fern

Common:

Sweet Fern

Scientific:

Comptonia peregrina

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

2-5 ft

Spread:

4-8 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Insignificant, yellowish green flowers appear in spring.

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Greenish-brown, burr-like nutlets.

Foliage:

Simple, narrow, lustrous, pinnatifid, deeply notched, olive to dark green leaves (to 4" long).

Fall:

Green to brown. Not attractive.

Bark:

Old stems have interesting copper or purplish color. Stems are shiny or have resin dots.

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Sand

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 6a

Other:

Native

Drought tolerant. Not suited for right-of-way plantings.

Tickseed

Collections:

Common:

Tickseed

Scientific:

Coreopsis

'Red Shift'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

2-2.5 ft

Spread:

1.5-2 ft

Shape:

Clumping

Bloom:

Profuse bloom of 2" diameter flowers from late spring to mid-summer, with continued bloom to early fall (sometimes to frost). No two flowers are identical. Temperature affects flower color. In the heat, flowers feature creamy yellow rays with a red ring

Blooming period:

Jun - Sep

Foliage:

Elliptic green leaves (to 3" long)

Fall:

Blooms through the fall (and occasionally winter). See bloom description

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Unknown

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 9a

'Redshift' is a clump-forming hybrid coreopsis noted for its profuse blooming that changes with temperature. In the heat of the summer, flowers generally feature creamy yellow rays with a red ring surrounding a dark golden yellow center. As temperatures begin to moderate, flower color shifts to more reds (hence the cultivar name of 'Redshift') with the yellow rays often showing red streaking. In the cooler temperatures of fall, flowers feature mostly dark red rays.

Drought tolerant.

DEP Residential Plan 1 and Urban Plan 3.

Tatarian dogwood

Common:

Tatarian Dogwood

Scientific:

Cornus alba

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

8-10 ft

Spread:

8-10 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Creamy white flowers in flat-topped clusters (cymes to 2.5" across) bloom in late spring, sometimes with sparse, intermittent, additional flowering continuing into early summer

Blooming period:

May - Jun

Fruit:

White berries (drupes tinged with blue-green) which ripen in mid-summer. Fruits are attractive to birds

Foliage:

Ovate to elliptic leaves (to 4.5" long) are bright yellow in full sun but greenish-yellow in part shade

Fall:

Often a showy red. Some plants fail to develop a good fall color

Bark:

In winter, stems turn a vivid blood red color. In spring, stem color reverts to nearly green. Stems are smooth, except for lenticels

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 7a

Does not tolerate urban heat.

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

Silky dogwood

Common:

Silky Dogwood

Scientific:

Cornus amomum

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

6-12 ft

Spread:

6-12 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Tiny yellowish-white flowers (showy petal-like white bracts are absent) in flat-topped clusters (cymes to 2.5" across) bloom in late spring to early summer

Blooming period:

May - Jun

Fruit:

Attractive berry-like drupes that change from white to blue as they ripen in late summer. Birds are attracted to the fruit

Foliage:

Oval to elliptic, medium green leaves (2"-5" long) have conspicuous veins

Fall:

Leaves change from green to brown

Bark:

Brown to maroon bark color with fissures. Stems are slender with pubescence

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

None

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 8a

Other:

Native

Tends to sucker.

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

Leaf icon

Collections:

Common:

Kousa Dogwood

Scientific:

Cornus kousa

'Summer Stars'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

20-30 ft

Spread:

20-30 ft

Shape:

Vase-Like Upright

Bloom:

Long-lasting and abundant bright-white flowers that consist of four narrowly pointed petal-like white bracts cover the tree

Blooming period:

May - Aug

Fruit:

Dull in color, large raspberry like fruit ripen along the stems. Fruit is mealy, but edible

Foliage:

Dense, oval-shaped, pointed leaves (to 4" long) are dark green

Fall:

Foliage changes to a rich brick red color around the time fruiting begins

Bark:

Trunk has a peeling gray bark that is distinctive and interesting

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:

Unknown

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

5a - 8b

The flower bracts on 'Summer Stars' are not as large as those of other cultivars, but they are retained longer. 

Kousa dogwood

Collections:

Common:

Kousa Dogwood

Scientific:

Cornus kousa

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

15-30 ft

Spread:

15-30 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

The showy parts of the Kousa dogwood "flower" (3"-5" across) are the four narrowly pointed petal-like white bracts which surround the center cluster of insignificant, yellowish-green, true flowers

Blooming period:

May - Jun

Fruit:

Berry-like fruits (to 1" diameter) which mature to a pinkish-red in summer and persist into fall. Fruits are edible

Foliage:

Oval, pointed leaves (to 4" long) are dark green

Fall:

Leaves turn attractive shades of reddish-purple to scarlet in autumn

Bark:

Older bark develops an exfoliating character, revealing a mix of gray-tan and mahogany brown. The quality of the bark seems to be somewhat variable, but usually of ornamental interest

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:

Unknown

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

5a - 8a
Cornelian cherry dogwood

Common:

Cornelian Cherry Dogwood

Scientific:

Cornus mas

'Golden Glory'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

15-20 ft

Spread:

15-20 ft

Shape:

Oval Rounded

Bloom:

Yellow flowers on short stalks bloom in early spring. Blooms heavily

Blooming period:

Mar

Fruit:

Fruits are ellipsoid, fleshy, one-seeded berries (drupes to 5/8" long) which mature to cherry red in mid-summer. Fruits are edible, although sour tasting fresh off the plant. Fruits may be used for making syrups and preserves

Foliage:

Ovate to elliptic leaves (to 4" long)

Fall:

Typically not very good colors. Mostly a mix of green and yellow with some purple-red highlights

Bark:

Showy exfoliating bark. Scaly mix of gray and tan. Not stunning, but relatively attractive

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, 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:

Sand, Loam, Clay, Heavy Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 8a

'Golden Glory' is valued for its early spring bloom of showy, small yellow flowers. 

An image of a flowering Cornus mas specimen, with its yellow flowers in rounded clusters.

Collections:

Common:

Cornelian Cherry Dogwood

Scientific:

Cornus mas

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

15-25 ft

Spread:

15-20 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Yellow flowers on short stalks bloom in early spring

Blooming period:

Mar

Fruit:

Fruits are ellipsoid, fleshy, one-seeded berries (drupes to 5/8" long) which mature to cherry red in mid-summer. Fruits are edible, although sour tasting fresh off the plant. Fruits may be used for making syrups and preserves

Foliage:

Ovate to elliptic leaves (to 4" long)

Fall:

Typically not very good colors. Mostly a mix of green and yellow with some purple-red highlights

Bark:

Showy exfoliating bark. Scaly mix of gray and tan. Not stunning, but relatively attractive

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, 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:

Sand, Loam, Clay, Heavy Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 8a
Gray dogwood

Common:

Gray Dogwood

Scientific:

Cornus racemosa

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

10-15 ft

Spread:

10-15 ft

Shape:

Upright Clumping

Bloom:

Small, creamy white flowers which are held in 2" diameter clusters. Not extremely showy, but numerous

Blooming period:

May - Jun

Fruit:

Produces white fruit, about 0.25" in diameter. The fruit is readily eaten by birds. Pedicels develop a vivid reddish pink color and are more showy than the actual fruit

Foliage:

Grayish-green, elliptic to lance-shaped leaves (2"-4" long)

Fall:

Develops a rich, reddish purple in full exposure

Bark:

Older stems are a light gray while younger stems are orange-brown. Bark and winter branch pattern are effective ornamentally

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, 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:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 8a

Other:

Native

Tends to sucker.

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