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

Rudbeckia hirta 'Prairie Sun'

Common:

Black-Eyed Susan

Scientific:

Rudbeckia hirta

'Prairie Sun'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

2.5-3 ft

Spread:

1.5-2 ft

Shape:

Upright

Bloom:

Daisy-like flowers (to 5" wide) have bright orange rays with yellow tips and a greenish center disk

Blooming period:

Jun - Dec

Fruit:

Non-fruiting

Foliage:

Bright green leaves with rough texture (3-7" long) form in basal clumps

Fall:

No significant change in fall color

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, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 8b

Other:

Native

'Prairie Sun' is noted for its long-lasting bright orange blooms.

Rudbeckia subtomentosa

Collections:

Common:

Sweet Coneflower

Scientific:

Rudbeckia subtomentosa

'Henry Eilers'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

3-5 ft

Spread:

1-2 ft

Shape:

Compact

Bloom:

Daisy-like flowers have bright yellow rays with a brown center disk

Blooming period:

Jul - Sep

Fruit:

Non-fruiting

Foliage:

Dark gray-green leaves (3-6" long) form in basal clumps are mildly aromatic

Fall:

No significant change in fall color

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Unknown

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

4a - 8b

'Henry Eilers' is similar to the species, except the yellow rays of the flower are rolled instead of flat, giving the rays a quilled effect. 

DEP Residential Plan 2 and Urban Plan 1.

This is a general image of Salix alba ('Tristis' cultivar) in the winter season, emphasizing its yellow branches atop a plane of snow.

Common:

Golden Weeping Willow

Scientific:

Salix alba

'Tristis'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-75 ft

Spread:

50-75 ft

Shape:

Weeping

Bloom:

Non-showy, gray-white catkins (to 2" long) appear in spring

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Narrow, ovate (to 4" long) finely-toothed leaves are grayish-green with whitish undersides

Fall:

Foliage turns golden yellow

Bark:

Young bark is golden yellow in color

Special Qualities:

Fall Color, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 4a

'Tristis' is noted for its bright golden yellow twigs and weeping form. 

Salix discolor

Common:

Pussy Willow

Scientific:

Salix discolor

Plant type:

Trees, Shrub

Height:

6-15 ft

Spread:

4-12 ft

Shape:

Vase-Like

Bloom:

Catkins on male shrubs are a showy gray-white (to 1.5" long) and female shrubs produce smaller, greenish catkins

Blooming period:

Mar - Apr

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Narrow, ovate (to 5" long) leaves have marginal teeth and are dull medium green

Fall:

Undistinguished green-yellow fall color

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Fall Color

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:

4a - 8a

Other:

Native
Salix purpurea 'Nana'

Common:

Purple Willow

Scientific:

Salix purpurea

'Nana'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

3-5 ft

Spread:

3-5 ft

Shape:

Mounded

Bloom:

Catkins (to 1.25" long) contain dense clusters of tiny flowers that emerge reddish purple before maturing to gray-white

Blooming period:

Mar - May

Fruit:

Catkins on female shrubs produce seed capsules that split to release seeds in late spring to early summer

Foliage:

Narrow, ovate (to 2-4" long) are blue-green above with pale green undersides and serrated margin ends

Fall:

Undistinguished fall color

Bark:

'Nana' is noted for its purplish stems

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 8a

‘Nana’ is a small compact cultivar noted for its purplish stems.

Salix repans 'Iona'

Common:

Creeping Willow

Scientific:

Salix repens

'Iona'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

4-6 ft

Spread:

1-2 ft

Shape:

Spreading

Bloom:

Catkins emerge silvery-white maturing to yellow

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Narrow, gray-green, ovate leaves (to 1.5" long) have whitish-green undersides

Fall:

Undistinguished fall color

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Unknown

pH:

Not available

Soil:

Loam

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 8a

'Iona' is a male clone and a dwarf cultivar. 

Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht'

Common:

Wood Sage

Scientific:

Salvia x sylvestris

'Mainacht'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

1.5-2 ft

Spread:

1-1.5 ft

Shape:

Upright

Bloom:

Tiny, tubular, deep violet-blue flowers (to 1/2" long) bloom on showy spikes

Blooming period:

May - Jun

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Medium green leaves of this mint family member has aromatic leaves that have a wrinkled texture and serrated margins

Fall:

No significant change in fall color

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

4a - 8a

'Mainacht', or 'May Night' is noted for its compact form and its spikes of deep violet blue flowers.

Salvia x sylvestris Blue Hill ('Blauhügel')

Common:

Blue Hill Sage

Scientific:

Salvia x sylvestris

'Blauhügel'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

1.5-2.5 ft

Spread:

1-1.5 ft

Shape:

Upright

Bloom:

Tiny tubular flowers (to 1/2" long) that range in color from blue to purple bloom on showy spikes

Blooming period:

May - Jun

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Medium green leaves of this mint family member has aromatic leaves that have a wrinkled texture and serrated margins

Fall:

No significant change in fall color

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

4a - 8a

'Blauhügel' is noted for its spikes of pure blue flowers. 

Attracts butterflies, tolerates deer. Will bloom in the spring and again in the fall if deadheaded.

Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'

Common:

Black Lace® Elderberry

Scientific:

Sambucus nigra

'Eva'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

6-8 ft

Spread:

6-8 ft

Shape:

Spreading Upright

Bloom:

Tiny white to pink flowers bloom in large, flattop umbel-like cymes (to 10" wide)

Blooming period:

Jun - Jul

Fruit:

Blooms give way to clusters of glossy black berries (~3/8" diameter)

Foliage:

Compound pinnate leaves are each made up of 3-7 finely cut, elliptic leaflets that resemble the Japanese maple

Fall:

No significant change in fall color

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage, Fall Color

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Unknown

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 7b

Other:

Native, Pollinator

'Eva' is noted for its distinctive, finely cut dark purple foliage and showy blooms. 

Shrub is dioecious (separate male and female plants). Plant one male cultivar for every six females to produce berries.

Berries can be toxic to pets if consumed. 

Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis

Common:

Sweet Box

Scientific:

Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

1-2 ft

Spread:

2-4 ft

Shape:

Compact

Bloom:

Tiny, tubular, apetalous flowers (to 1/2" long) bloom in the leaf axils

Blooming period:

Mar - Apr

Fruit:

Female plants produce shiny, rounded, black fruits (to 1/3" wide)

Foliage:

Ovate, leathery, dark green leaves (to 3.5" long)

Fall:

No significant change in fall color

Special Qualities:

Evergreen

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Part Sun to Full Shade

Salt:

Unknown

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Loam

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

6a - 8b
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