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

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Common:

Carolina Silverbell

Scientific:

Halesia carolina

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

30-40 ft

Spread:

20-35 ft

Shape:

Spreading

Bloom:

drooping clusters of bell-shaped, white flowers (usually 2-5 flowers per cluster)

Blooming period:

Apr

Fruit:

four-winged, brownish fruits appear in the fall and often persist into winter

Foliage:

Dull, finely toothed, dark yellowish-green, leaves (2-5 inches long)

Fall:

leaves turn yellow in fall, but may drop early

Bark:

smooth, muscle-like bark with gray as base layer with creamy-white striping bark on twigs

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 8b

Other:

Fall Dig Safe, ALB Safe
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Common:

Two-Winged Silverbell

Scientific:

Halesia diptera

Plant type:

Trees, Shrub

Height:

20-30 ft

Spread:

20-30 ft

Shape:

Oval Rounded Spreading

Bloom:

clusters (3 to 6 flowers per cluster) of bell-shaped white flowers (less than 1 inch wide) with lobed petals

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

flattened two-winged fruits (to 2 inches long) that ripen in fall

Foliage:

oval, irregularly toothed, dark green leaves (4-8 inches long)

Fall:

Leaves turn yellow in fall

Bark:

Bark exfoliates in thin scales

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Unknown

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam

Moisture:

Dry to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 8b
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Collections:

  • Median Plants
  • Tree Bed Plants
  • Sidewalk Plants
  • Roadway Plants

Common:

Mountain Silverbell

Scientific:

Halesia monticola

Plant type:

Trees, Shrub

Height:

20-40 ft

Spread:

15-35 ft

Shape:

Spreading Upright

Bloom:

Bell-shaped, shallow-lobed, white flowers appear in clusters (3-5 flowers per cluster) in spring. Flowers of this variety larger than halesia carolina. Flowers point downwards and are best viewed from below

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Four-winged fruits (to 2" long) emerge from flowers that mature in fall

Foliage:

Elliptic, medium green leaves (to 4-8" long)

Fall:

Leaves turn yellow in fall

Bark:

Exfoliating bark provides some winter interest

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

None

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

5a - 9a
An image of a Hamamelis vernalis bush, featuring a grey trunk, dried brown leaves, and red-orange flowers.

Common:

Ozark Witch Hazel

Scientific:

Hamamelis vernalis

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

6-15 ft

Spread:

8-15 ft

Shape:

Rounded Spreading

Bloom:

Flower cluster prior to the emergence of foliage. Each flower has four, narrow, ribbon-like, curled petals that are red at the base and copper orange at the end

Blooming period:

Jan - Apr

Fruit:

Fruit is a non-showy capsule which breaks open in September-October

Foliage:

Light green rounded leaves emerge light green with reddish-bronze tints in spring, but quickly mature to medium to dark green

Fall:

Leaves turn golden yellow in fall

Bark:

Light brown to gray bark color

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Not available

Hardiness:

4a - 8b
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Collections:

  • Shallow-Soil Tolerant Plants

Common:

Common Witch Hazel

Scientific:

Hamamelis virginiana

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

15-20 ft

Spread:

15-20 ft

Shape:

Rounded Upright

Bloom:

Fragrant yellow flowers, each with four petals, appear along the branches from October to December

Blooming period:

Oct - Dec

Fruit:

Fruits are greenish seed capsules that become woody with age and mature to light brown. Each seed capsule splits open in fall of the following year, exploding black seeds up to 30 feet

Foliage:

Oval, medium to dark green leaves (to 6" long) with wavy margins

Fall:

Leaves turn yellow in fall

Bark:

Trunk and larger branches are gray, relatively smooth, and slightly wrinkled. Smaller branches and twigs are gray to reddish brown

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Fall Color

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

High

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay, Heavy Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 8b

Other:

Native
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Common:

Witch Hazel 'Jelena'

Scientific:

Hamamelis x intermedia

'Jelena'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

8-12 ft

Spread:

8-12 ft

Shape:

Spreading Upright

Bloom:

Coppery blooms that lighten to orange at the center and yellow at the tips

Blooming period:

Feb - Mar

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Broad-oval, green leaves

Fall:

Orange-red in fall

Bark:

Smooth gray to gray brown

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Not available

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

5a - 8b

'Jelena' is noted for its rich coppery-orange flowers and its dramatic, spreading form.

Tolerates deer and erosion. Prefers even moisture, but will tolerate some drought once established.

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Common:

Witch Hazel 'Diane'

Scientific:

Hamamelis x intermedia

'Diane'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

8-12 ft

Spread:

10-15 ft

Shape:

Spreading

Bloom:

Deep orange-red flowers in mid and late winter

Blooming period:

Jan - Mar

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Broad-oval green leaves

Fall:

Turn attractive shades of yellow, orange, and red in fall

Bark:

Smooth gray to gray brown

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Not available

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Not available

Hardiness:

5a - 9b

'Diane' is characterized by its coppery red flowers.

Tolerates deer and erosion. Prefers even moisture, but will tolerate some drought once established.

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Common:

Witch Hazel

Scientific:

Hamamelis x intermedia

'Arnold Promise'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

12-15 ft

Spread:

12-15 ft

Shape:

Vase-Like Upright

Bloom:

This cultivar is one of the most popular yellow-flowered witch hazel forms, with bright yellow blooms that have a reddish base. Blooms later than other cultivars

Blooming period:

Feb - Mar

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Broadly ovate green leaves

Fall:

Yellow-orange to yellow fall color

Bark:

Smooth gray to gray brown

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Not available

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Not available

Hardiness:

5a - 8b

'Arnold Promise' is noted for its yellow flowers and red cups. 

Tolerates deer and erosion. Prefers even moisture, but will tolerate some drought once established.

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Common:

Hybrid Witch Hazel

Scientific:

Hamamelis x intermedia

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

15-20 ft

Spread:

8-13 ft

Shape:

Rounded Spreading

Bloom:

Four, long, narrow petals; spider-like. Different colors depending on cultivar

Blooming period:

Jan - Mar

Fruit:

Capsule; not ornamentally significant

Foliage:

Alternate, simple leaves are a downy, gray-green

Fall:

Yellow to yellow orange; can be very showy

Bark:

Smooth gray to gray brown

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Not available

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

5a - 9b

Tolerates deer and erosion. Prefers even moisture, but will tolerate some drought once established.

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Common:

Sneezeweed

Scientific:

Helenium

'Double Trouble'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

2-3 ft

Spread:

1.5-2 ft

Shape:

Upright

Bloom:

Blooms from midsummer through early fall, producing frilly petaled, small, double, bright yellow flowers with a gold button center atop strong, sturdy stems

Blooming period:

Jul - Nov

Fruit:

Sterile - no seeds

Foliage:

Deep green

Fall:

Flowers still blooming in fall

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Not available

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 9b

Other:

Pollinator

'Double Trouble' has pure bright yellow, double flowers.

Attracts butterflies. Tolerates deer.

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