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

Yarrow

Collections:

  • Roadway Plants

Common:

Yarrow

Scientific:

Achillea

'Moonshine'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

1-2 ft

Spread:

0.75-1 ft

Shape:

Upright Compact Clumping

Bloom:

Bright lemon-yellow and showy. Flowers appear in dense, flattened, compound corymbs (2"-3" across) on stalks rising 1-2' tall. Long-lasting

Blooming period:

Jun - Sep

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Fern-like, silvery to grey-green foliage. Aromatic

Fall:

Ornamentally insignificant

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Summer

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Urban (rubble/fill), Sand

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

3a - 8a

'Moonshine' is a hybrid of A. clypeolata x A. 'Taygetea' and is known for its long lasting, bright lemon-yellow flowers. Dead-head to promote longer blooming. May attract butterflies.

Drought tolerant; needs well-drained soil.

Protect from strong winds. Plants may be cut back following bloom

Achillea millefolium

Collections:

  • Roadway Plants

Common:

Yarrow

Scientific:

Achillea millefolium

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

2-3 ft

Spread:

2-3 ft

Shape:

Spreading Upright

Bloom:

Tiny, long-lasting, white flowers that appear in dense, flattened, compound corymbs (to 2-4” across) throughout the summer on stems typically rising 2-3’ tall

Blooming period:

Jun - Sep

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Fern-like, medium green foliage. Aromatic; strong, spicy aroma that persists when used in dried arrangement

Fall:

Ornamentally insignificant

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Summer

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Urban (rubble/fill), Sand

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 9a

Straight species is less common and typically has lower availability compared to cultivars. Cultivars extend the range of flower colors. Great roadside plant.

Drought tolerant; needs well-drained soils.

Protect from strong winds. Plants may be cut back following bloom.

 

 

Yarrow

Collections:

  • Roadway Plants

Common:

Yarrow

Scientific:

Achillea millefolium

'Paprika'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

1.5-2 ft

Spread:

1.5-2 ft

Shape:

Spreading Upright

Bloom:

Dusty-red flowers appear in dense, flattened, compound corymbs (2"-4" across) on stalks rising 1-1.5'. Color may fade to light pink, creamy yellow and brown

Blooming period:

Jun - Jul

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Fern-like, medium green foliage. Aromatic; strong, spicy aroma

Fall:

Ornamentally insignificant

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Urban (rubble/fill), Sand

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

3a - 10a

'Paprika' is known for its tiny, long-lasting, dusty-red flowers with yellow centers. Dead-head to promote longer blooming. May attract butterflies.

Drought tolerant; needs well-drained soil.

Protect from strong winds. Plants may be cut back following bloom.

Yarrow

Collections:

  • Roadway Plants

Common:

Yarrow

Scientific:

Achillea millefolium

'Montrose Rose'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

1-1.5 ft

Spread:

1-1.5 ft

Shape:

Upright Compact

Bloom:

Rose-pink blooms appear in dense, flattened, compound corymbs (2"-4" across) on stalks rising 1-1.5'

Blooming period:

Jun - Sep

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Fern-like, medium green foliage. Aromatic; strong, spicy aroma

Fall:

Ornamentally insignificant

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Urban (rubble/fill), Sand

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

3a - 10a

'Montrose Rose' is known for its rose-pink flowers and compact size. Dead-head to promote longer blooming. May attract butterflies.

Drought tolerant; needs well-drained soil.

Protect from strong winds. Plants may be cut back following bloom.

Sweet Flag

Collections:

Common:

Variegated Sweet Flag

Scientific:

Acorus calamus

'Variegatus'

Plant type:

Perennial, Grass/Grass-like

Height:

2-2.5 ft

Spread:

1.5-2 ft

Shape:

Upright

Bloom:

Ornamentally insignificant

Blooming period:

May

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant. Sterile triploid. Tiny fleshy berries

Foliage:

Iris-like, sword-shaped leaf blades striped with white and green up to 3/4" wide. Grows in basal clumps. Fragrant when bruised

Fall:

Plant will turn brown and may be cut back to the ground in late winter or early spring

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

None

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 10a

'Variegatus' features variegated leaf blades that are striped with white and green.

Native to Europe, but has naturalized over time - particularly in the northeast.

Grows best in consistently moist, boggy soils. Spreads via creeping rhizomes.

DEP Residential Plan 2 and Especially Wet Plan.

Sweet Flag

Collections:

Common:

Sweet Flag

Scientific:

Acorus calamus

Plant type:

Perennial, Grass/Grass-like

Height:

2-2.5 ft

Spread:

1.5-2 ft

Shape:

Upright

Bloom:

Ornamentally insignificant

Blooming period:

May

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant. Sterile triploid. Tiny fleshy berries

Foliage:

Iris-like, sword-shaped green leaf blades up to 3/4" wide; grows in basal clumps. Fragrant when bruised

Fall:

Plant will turn brown and may be cut back to the ground in late winter or early spring

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

None

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 10a

Native to Europe, but has naturalized over time - particularly in the northeast.

Grows best in consistently moist, boggy soils. Spreads via creeping rhizomes.

DEP Residential Plan 2 and Especially Wet Plan.

Grassy-Leaved Sweet Flag

Collections:

  • Wetland Plants

Common:

Grassy-Leaved Sweet Flag

Scientific:

Acorus gramineus

'Variegatus'

Plant type:

Perennial, Grass/Grass-like

Height:

0.5-1 ft

Spread:

0.5-1 ft

Shape:

Upright

Bloom:

Ornamentally insignificant. Tiny flowers bloom on lateral, sedge-like flower spikes

Blooming period:

Jun - Jul

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant. Tiny, reddish, fleshy berries

Foliage:

Grass- to iris-like tufts of narrow, variegated leaf blades. Striped with white and green. Fragrant when bruised

Fall:

Plant is semi-evergreen, but will die back in harsher winters

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 8a

May also be known as Japanese Rush or Japanese Sweet Flag. Native to Asia.

'Variegatus' is a compact cultivar with variegated leaf blades that are striped with white and green.

Marginally aquatic plant; grows best in consistently moist soils. Typically used in rain gardens or near the waters edge - do not let soils dry out.

Ohio Buckeye

Common:

Ohio Buckeye

Scientific:

Aesculus glabra

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

20-40 ft

Spread:

20-40 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Yellow-green flowers in panicles 4"-7" long; individual flowers 1" wide; least ornamental of the genus

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Not necessarily ornamental, but a defining feature of the species. Prickly pear-shaped capsule, 1"-2" long, encasing a single nut. When ripe, turns a dark brown with a light tan eye. Fruit is poisonous

Foliage:

Leaves emerge as bright green and mature to a deep green by summer. Palmate compound leaves; five spreading ovate-oblong leaflets to 3"-6" long. Leaves emit an unpleasant odor when crushed

Fall:

Typically yellow but may develop interesting and attractive shades of orange and red

Bark:

Ashy-gray; corky and warty when young; fissured when old. Twigs may emit an unpleasant odor when crushed

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Fall Color, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

None

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 7a

Other:

ALB Host

Regional native.

May attract butterflies and migrant birds.

Horse Chestnut

Collections:

Common:

Baumannii Horsechestnut

Scientific:

Aesculus hippocastanum

'Baumannii'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-80 ft

Spread:

35-60 ft

Shape:

Oval Rounded Upright

Bloom:

Showy white (sometimes pink) double flowers that bloom later and last longer

Blooming period:

May

Fruit:

This cultivar is generally fruitless/produces much fewer fruits than the species

Foliage:

Typically leafs out early with leaves emerging bright green and maturing to a deep green. Seven (occasionally five) palmate compound leaves with spreading ovate-oblong leaflets 4"-10" long

Fall:

Leaves are often so scorched/blotched that good fall color isn't possible

Bark:

Exfoliates in plates on older branches and trunk to reveal showy orange bark underneath; most of bark is gray and brown

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 8a

Other:

ALB Host

'Baumannii' is a double-flowered cultivar that is primarily distinguished from the species by its later and longer bloom, double white flowers, no fruit, and taller and narrower form.

Generally a better selection than the species for use in NYC due to the improved blooms, narrower stature, and little to no fruit litter.

An Aesculus hippocastanum tree with a tall, dense trunk and broad canopy.

Collections:

Common:

Horsechestnut

Scientific:

Aesculus hippocastanum

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-75 ft

Spread:

40-65 ft

Shape:

Oval Rounded Upright

Bloom:

Very showy, reaching a peak in mid-May; white with some yellow and red at the base. Appear in terminal panicles, 5"-12" long, 2"-5" wide

Blooming period:

May

Fruit:

Not necessarily ornamental, but a defining feature of the species. 1-2 horsechestnut(s) encased in leathery light brown husk covered with sharp spines. Fruit is poisonous

Foliage:

Typically leafs out early with leaves emerging bright green and maturing to a deep green. Seven (occasionally five) palmate compound leaves with spreading ovate-oblong leaflets 4"-10" long

Fall:

Leaves are often so scorched/blotched that good fall color isn't possible

Bark:

Exfoliates in plates on older branches and trunk to reveal showy orange bark underneath; most of bark is gray and brown

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 7b

Other:

ALB Host

Closely related to the Ohio buckeye; distinguished by having spiny sharp fruits and sticky buds.

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