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

Tall Fescue

Common:

Tall Fescue

Scientific:

Festuca arundinacea

Plant type:

Grass/Grass-like

Height:

0.25-0.25 ft

Spread:

0.25-0.25 ft

Shape:

Upright Clumping

Bloom:

Blooms occur on long stems with a nodding panicle (4-12" long)

Fruit:

Flowers transition to brown seed heads

Foliage:

Dark green leaf blades that are thick, flat, and ridged on the upper surface. Can be mowed regularly to maintain it as a turfgrass or allowed to grow for a more ornamental grass-like appearance

Fall:

Grass will turn brown and go dormant for the winter

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

High

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Urban (rubble/fill), Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 6a

Other:

Emerging or Reported Invasive (locally)

Reported as invasive in Bronx, Staten Island, and Suffolk County. Caution must be exercised when planting this plant near a Forever Wild or other natural area.

Also known as Schedonorus arundinaceus or Lolium arundinaceum

Tall fescue is a coarse textured cool season turfgrass with a bunch-type growth habit that causes it to appear clumped and upright. Deep root system makes it a good choice for dry sites. Very adaptable and tolerates a wide-range of soil 

For lawns, re-seeding is common to repair damaged areas.

An image of Festuca glauca ('Elijah Blue' cultivar) and its blue-green foliage, located on a street median.

Common:

Blue Fescue

Scientific:

Festuca glauca

'Elijah Blue'

Plant type:

Grass/Grass-like

Height:

0.75-1 ft

Spread:

0.5-0.75 ft

Shape:

Clumping

Bloom:

Not showy. Light green flowers with a purple tinge appear in terminal panicles atop stems rising above the foliage

Blooming period:

Jun - Jul

Fruit:

Flowers give way to buffy seed heads

Foliage:

Glaucous, finely-textured, blue-gray foliage which forms a dome-shaped, porcupine-like tuft of erect to arching, needle-like blades radiating upward and outward to a height of 6"-8" (inflorescences typically bring total clump height to 10"-14")

Fall:

Semi-evergreen. Plants may die back in harsh-winters and can be cut back to 3" in early spring to allow for new growth

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

High

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Urban (rubble/fill), Sand, Loam

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

3a - 6a

'Elijah Blue' is one of the most popular of the blue fescues. It is known for its hardiness and striking blue color.

Tolerates drought and air pollution. Performs best in full sun. 

Foliage may decline in hot, humid summers and plants require dividing every 2-3 years.

Red Fescue

Common:

Red Fescue

Scientific:

Festuca rubra

Plant type:

Grass/Grass-like

Height:

0.25-0.25 ft

Spread:

0.25-0.25 ft

Shape:

Clumping

Bloom:

Inflorescences are narrow panicles. Spikelets are three to ten flowered

Blooming period:

May - Jul

Fruit:

Flowers transition to brown seed heads

Foliage:

Medium green leaves are mostly basal with young shoots emerging from the leaf axils. Can be mowed regularly to maintain it as a turfgrass or allowed to grow for a meadow-like appearance

Fall:

Grass will turn brown and go dormant for the winter

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Part Sun Only

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Urban (rubble/fill), Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 6a

Other:

Emerging or Reported Invasive (locally)

Reported as invasive in Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.

Red fescue is the most commonly used cool season turfgrass in shade and dry, drought-prone areas. 

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Common:

Greenstem Forsythia

Scientific:

Forsythia viridissima

'Bronxensis'

Plant type:

Shrub, Groundcover

Height:

1-2 ft

Spread:

2-3 ft

Shape:

Spreading

Bloom:

Small, primrose-yellow flowers in spring

Blooming period:

Apr

Fruit:

the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe

Foliage:

simple, elliptic-oblong to lanceolate leaves (to 6” long) with teeth above the middle

Bark:

thin and smooth

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

High

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Urban (rubble/fill)

Moisture:

Dry to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 8b

Other:

Has Invasive Tendencies

'Bronxensis' is a compact cultivar that was initially grown from seed at the Bronx Botanical Garden in New York City in 1939.

Not currently listed as invasive in NY, but has invasive tendencies; suckers and spreads.

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Common:

Gold Tide® Forsythia

Scientific:

Forsythia x intermedia

'Courtasol'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

1-2 ft

Spread:

2-5 ft

Shape:

Spreading Dwarf

Bloom:

brilliant golden bell-shaped flowers

Blooming period:

Mar - Apr

Fruit:

brown capsule

Foliage:

Ovate, medium green leaves

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 8b

Other:

Has Invasive Tendencies

'Courtasol'  is noted for its compact-spreading shape, typically growing to only 20” tall but spreading to as much as 4’ wide. It features light yellow flowers that appear in profusion before the leaves emerge in late winter to early spring. 

Not currently listed as invasive in NY, but has invasive tendencies; suckers and spreads.

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Common:

Showy Border™ Forsythia

Scientific:

Forsythia x intermedia

'Spectabilis'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

2-3 ft

Spread:

5-5 ft

Shape:

Spreading Upright

Bloom:

brilliant yellow color on good selections, short blooming time - usually only 2-3 weeks in early spring

Blooming period:

Mar - Apr

Fruit:

Brown capsule; insignificant

Foliage:

•medium to dark green color above and lighter on the underside

Fall:

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Urban (rubble/fill), Sand, Loam

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4b - 9a

Other:

Pollinator, Has Invasive Tendencies

'Spectabilis' is aptly named for having larger flowers than the species.

Not currently listed as invasive in NY, but has invasve tendencies; suckers and spreads.

An image of Fothergilla gardenii ('Mount Airy' cultivar) within a median, highlighting the spiky white flowers of the shrub.

Common:

Dwarf Fothergilla

Scientific:

Fothergilla gardenii

'Mount Airy'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

4-5 ft

Spread:

3-5 ft

Shape:

Upright Dwarf

Bloom:

Bottlebrush-like spikes (1-3" long) of tiny, fragrant, white (white filaments and yellowish anthers) flowers that bloom in spring after foliage emerges

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Fruit is a capsule that matures in fall - ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Dark blue green

Fall:

Turns brilliant orange, yellow, red

Bark:

Light brown

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

None

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

6a - 8b

'Mount Airy' is noted for its profuse spring flowering, excellent summer foliage, excellent fall color and consistently upright habit.

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

This is an image of Fothergilla gardenii ('Blue Mist' cultivar) amongst other plants, showcasing its oval leaves and blue hue.

Common:

Dwarf Fothergilla

Scientific:

Fothergilla gardenii

'Blue Mist'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

2-3 ft

Spread:

2-3 ft

Shape:

Rounded Compact Mounded Dwarf

Bloom:

Only male flowers have color (white filaments and yellow anthers). Fragrant/honey-scented

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Fruit is a capsule that matures in fall - ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Thick, oblong to obovate, blue-green to green leaves (1-3" long) with marginal teeth from midpoint to leaf tip. Attractive frosty blue-green in summer

Fall:

Leaves turn yellow, orange, and red in fall, but this cultivar does not always turn the stunning fall colors in the same way as other fothergillas

Bark:

Light brown

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

None

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 8b

'Blue Mist' is a compact, slow-growing cultivar with a mounded habit. It is noted for its attractive frosty blue-green foliage in the summer.

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

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Collections:

  • Median Plants

Common:

Heaven Scent® Gardenia

Scientific:

Gardenia jasminoides

'MADGA 1'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

5-6 ft

Spread:

5-6 ft

Shape:

Rounded Upright Compact

Bloom:

extremely fragrant white flowers (to 3” diameter) and is often grown in double-flowered forms. Flowers bloom throughout the year in warm climates where temperatures do not dip below 60 degrees F., but more typically bloom in late spring to early summer in

Blooming period:

Mar - Jun

Fruit:

small, orange, non-showy, oval fruit

Foliage:

thick, glossy, dark green leaves (to 4” long)

Fall:

showy red, orange, yellow seed pods

Bark:

greyish bark

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Evergreen

Level of Maintenance:

High

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

6a - 10b

Other:

Pollinator

Heaven Scent® Gardenia is known for its intensely fragrant flowers that bloom repeatedly from late spring through summer.

Not winter hardy in region. 

Leaf icon

Common:

Gaura

Scientific:

Gaura lindheimeri

'Passionate Blush'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

1-2.5 ft

Spread:

1-2 ft

Shape:

Rounded Upright Compact

Bloom:

Bands of small silky blooms appear for months on end, in a lovely combination of soft-pink and white

Blooming period:

May - Aug

Fruit:

Fruits start off green, then change to dark greyish-brown when they are mature

Foliage:

Narrow, lance-shaped, medium green leaves (to 2.5 inches long) with white edges and red-pink coloration toward the apex. later in spring lose the red and become solid green

Fall:

Flowers turn coral red in late summer and fall

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

5a - 5b

Other:

Pollinator

'Passionate Blush' is known for its burgundy new growth and masses of ruby colored buds on short, dark red stems, opening to deep pink blossoms from spring to fall. 

Requires good drainage.

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