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

This is an image of a common Pyrus calleryana tree, which has green leaves and is located on a sidewalk.

Collections:

  • Median Plants

Common:

Callery Pear

Scientific:

Pyrus calleryana

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

30-45 ft

Spread:

20-35 ft

Shape:

Oval Spreading

Bloom:

White flowers form in corymbs about 3" in diameter. Blooms are attractive, but have an unpleasant odor

Blooming period:

Apr

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Alternate, ovate, glossy-leathery dark green leaves (to 3" long) have notably wavy margins

Fall:

Foliage turns an attractive mix of purple-red-orange colors

Bark:

Light brown to gray-fissures with age

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

5a - 9b

Other:

Emerging or Reported Invasive (locally)

Very susceptible to limb breakage or splitting from strong winds, snow, or ice.

Not recommended as a street tree due to weak branching. Care must be taken when selecting this plant for the right-of-way to ensure proper site conditions are met.

Reported as invasive in the Bronx.

 

This is an image of a Quercus acutissima tree, which has a pyramidal shape and dense green foliage, partially obscuring buildings.

Collections:

Common:

Sawtooth Oak

Scientific:

Quercus acutissima

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-60 ft

Spread:

40-60 ft

Shape:

Rounded Pyramidal

Bloom:

Insignificant, monoecious, yellow-green flowers bloom in separate male and female catkins

Blooming period:

Mar - Apr

Fruit:

Rounded acorns (to 1" long) have scaly, saucer-shaped acorn cups that that extend to about 1/3 the length of the acorn

Foliage:

Oblong, glossy dark-green leaves (to 7" long) with marginal serration

Fall:

Undistinguished yellow-brown fall color

Bark:

Gray to black bark develops corky ridging with maturity

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

6a - 9b
Placeholder Image

Collections:

Common:

White Oak

Scientific:

Quercus alba

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-80 ft

Spread:

50-80 ft

Shape:

Rounded Spreading

Bloom:

Insignificant, monoecious, yellow-green flowers bloom in separate male and female catkins

Blooming period:

May

Fruit:

Rounded acorns (to 3/4" long) have saucer-shaped acorn cups

Foliage:

Elliptic, glossy, dark green leaves (to 9" long) have 7-9 deep rounded lobes

Fall:

Undistinguished pale brown color to shades of dark red

Bark:

Whitish to light gray, scaly, ridged, and furrowed

Special Qualities:

Showy Fruit, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

3a - 9b

Other:

Native
This is an image of a young Quercus bicolor tree on a street median, with a pyramidal, green canopy.

Collections:

Common:

Swamp White Oak

Scientific:

Quercus bicolor

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-60 ft

Spread:

50-60 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Insignificant, monoecious, yellow-green flowers bloom in separate male and female catkins

Blooming period:

Apr

Fruit:

Rounded acorns (to 1" long) have saucer-shaped acorn cups

Foliage:

Elliptic, glossy, dark green leaves (to 7" long) have 5-10 rounded lobes

Fall:

Yellow, sometimes reddish-purple, fall color

Bark:

Young bark is flaky revealing inner orange bark, maturing to dark gray-brown

Special Qualities:

Showy Fruit, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

3a - 8b

Other:

Native
This is a general image of Quercus coccinea, which has a broad canopy and green foliage.

Collections:

Common:

Scarlet Oak

Scientific:

Quercus coccinea

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-70 ft

Spread:

40-50 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Insignificant, monoecious, yellow-green flowers bloom in separate male and female catkins

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Rounded acorns (to 1" long) have saucer-shaped acorn cups

Foliage:

Glossy, dark green leaves (to 6" long) have deeply cut, pointed lobes with bristle tips

Fall:

Brilliant russet to scarlet red fall color

Bark:

Gray-blackish and furrowed

Special Qualities:

Fall Color

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Urban (rubble/fill), Sand, Loam

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

4a - 9b

Other:

Native
Placeholder Image

Collections:

Common:

Japanese Emperor Oak, Daimyo Oak

Scientific:

Quercus dentata

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-65 ft

Spread:

35-45 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Insignificant, monoecious, yellow-green flowers bloom in separate male and female catkins

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Rounded acorns (to 3/4" long) have saucer-shaped acorn cups that extend to about 1/3 the length of the acorn

Foliage:

Large, dark green, obovate leaves (to 12" long and 8" wide) have shallowly lobed margins

Fall:

Yellowish-brown fall color, sometimes changing to reddish-brown

Bark:

Dark grey, deep grooves with maturity

Special Qualities:

Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Winter

Light:

Part Sun to Full Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Loam, Clay, Heavy Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 8b

Other:

Fall Dig Safe, ALB Safe

Dead foliage stays on the tree well into winter. 

Placeholder Image

Collections:

Common:

Forest Green® Oak, Hungarian Oak, Italian Oak

Scientific:

Quercus frainetto

'Schmidt'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-80 ft

Spread:

35-60 ft

Shape:

Oval Upright

Bloom:

Insignificant, monoecious, yellow-green flowers bloom in separate male and female catkins

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Rounded acorns (to 1.25" long) have saucer-shaped acorn cups that extend to about 1/3 the length of the acorn

Foliage:

Large, dark green, obovate leaves (to 10" long) have 7-10 lobes per side that are crowded near the twig tips

Fall:

Attractive reddish-orange to dark brown fall color

Bark:

Fine grooves, young twigs are green

Special Qualities:

Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

6a - 8b

Other:

Fall Dig Safe

‘Schmidt’ is noted for its excellent foliage which reportedly has better resistance to leaf spot problems than the straight species.

This is a general image of Quercus imbricaria, that has a wide trunk and green foliage that is beginning to turn yellow.

Collections:

Common:

Shingle Oak

Scientific:

Quercus imbricaria

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-60 ft

Spread:

40-60 ft

Shape:

Rounded Pyramidal

Bloom:

Insignificant, monoecious, yellow-green flowers bloom in separate male and female catkins

Blooming period:

Apr

Fruit:

Rounded acorns (to 3/4" long) have saucer-shaped acorn cups that extend to about 1/3 the length of the acorn

Foliage:

Narrow, oblong, glossy dark green leaves (3-6" long) have smooth margins

Fall:

Yellow-brown to reddish-brown fall color

Bark:

Brownish gray bark, shallow furrowing

Special Qualities:

Showy Fruit, Fall Color

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

5a - 8b
This is a general image of a Quercus macrocarpa tree, which is growing on a sidewalk and is focused on the branches that are covered in green leaves.

Collections:

Common:

Bur Oak

Scientific:

Quercus macrocarpa

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

60-80 ft

Spread:

60-80 ft

Shape:

Rounded Spreading

Bloom:

Insignificant, monoecious, yellow-green flowers bloom in separate male and female catkins

Blooming period:

Apr

Fruit:

Oval acorns (to 1.5" long) have saucer-shaped acorn cups with a mossy scale or bur near the rim

Foliage:

Dark green leaves (6-12" long) vary in shape and have 5-9 rounded lobes

Fall:

Undistinguished yellow-brown fall color

Bark:

Rough, deep-ridged bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 8b

Other:

Native
Placeholder Image

Collections:

Common:

Chinkapin Oak

Scientific:

Quercus muehlenbergii

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-60 ft

Spread:

50-70 ft

Shape:

Rounded Spreading

Bloom:

Insignificant, monoecious, yellow-green flowers bloom in separate male and female catkins

Blooming period:

Apr

Fruit:

Rounded acorns (to 3/4" long) have scaly acorn cups that extend to about half the length of the acorn

Foliage:

Narrow, oblong, shiny-green leaves (4-7" long) have coarse marginal teeth

Fall:

Undistinguished yellow-brown fall color

Bark:

Bark is ash-gray with flaky-scaly ridges

Special Qualities:

Showy Fruit

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, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

5a - 7b

Other:

Fall Dig Safe
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