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 a young specimen of a Ulmus davidiana var. japonica ('JFS-Bieberich' cultivar) on a sidewalk, with dark green leaves and a slender trunk.

Collections:

Common:

Emerald Sunshine® American Elm

Scientific:

Ulmus davidiana var. japonica

'JFS-Bieberich'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

30-35 ft

Spread:

20-25 ft

Shape:

Vase-Like

Bloom:

Ornamentally insignificant

Blooming period:

Mar

Fruit:

Rounded, disc-like samara, about half an inch long, greenish sometime with a reddish tinge, maturing in early summer

Foliage:

Simple, alternate leaves, 3 to 4 inches long with toothed margins

Fall:

Leaves change yellow-green

Bark:

Bark is gray, ridged and furrowed

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), Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 9b

Other:

Fall Dig Safe, ALB Host

'JFS-Bieberich' is a smaller cultivar than the species and noted to be resistant to Dutch elm disease.

This is an image of Ulmus parvifolia ('UPMTF' cultivar) on a street median, which is displaying its broad, round canopy and narrow trunk that spreads widely with its foliage.

Common:

Bosque® Lacebark Elm

Scientific:

Ulmus parvifolia

'UPMTF'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-50 ft

Spread:

25-40 ft

Shape:

Oval Rounded Pyramidal

Bloom:

Small, reddish-green flowers appear, but are inconspicuous

Blooming period:

Aug - Sep

Fruit:

Rounded samaras with notched tips. They are greenish-red and ripen in the fall

Foliage:

Shiny, dark green leaves (up to 3") are elliptic to ovate, and have small teeth

Fall:

Undistinguished yellow fall color

Bark:

Bark is flaky and multi-colored. Flakes reveal patches of gray, cream, orange, brown, and green

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 9b

Other:

ALB Host

'UPMTF' is noted for its upright form that is well-suited as a street tree and other locations with restricted space. It is also known to be tolerant of Dutch elm Disease and phloem necrosis. 

Chinese Elm

Collections:

Common:

Allee® Elm

Scientific:

Ulmus parvifolia

'Emer II'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

60-70 ft

Spread:

35-55 ft

Shape:

Oval Vase-Like

Bloom:

Small, reddish-green flowers appear, but are inconspicuous

Blooming period:

Sep

Fruit:

Rounded samaras with notched tips. They are greenish-red and ripen in the fall

Foliage:

Shiny, dark green leaves (up to 3") are elliptic to ovate, and have small teeth

Fall:

Undistinguished yellow fall color

Bark:

Bark is flaky and multi-colored. Flakes reveal patches of gray, cream, orange, brown, and green

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 9a

Other:

ALB Host

'Emer II' is noted for its vase-like form and exfoliating multi-colored bark. Excellent resistance to Dutch elm disease and elm leaf beetle. 

Chinese Elm

Collections:

Common:

Chinese Elm

Scientific:

Ulmus parvifolia

'Dynasty'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

20-30 ft

Spread:

20-30 ft

Shape:

Rounded Vase-Like

Bloom:

Ornamentally insignificant

Blooming period:

Apr

Fruit:

Rounded samaras with notched tips. They are greenish-red and ripen in the fall

Foliage:

Elliptic to ovate, shiny dark green leaves (to 3" long) have small teeth

Fall:

Undistinguished yellow fall color

Bark:

Bark flakes to reveal patches of gray, cream, orange, brown and green

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 9b

Other:

ALB Host

'Dynasty' is noted for its faster growth rate and rounded vase-like form. 

Chinese elm has good resistance to Dutch elm disease. 

This is a general image of a Ulmus parvifolia tree, that has a dense, green canopy that occupies most of the frame.

Collections:

Common:

Chinese Elm

Scientific:

Ulmus parvifolia

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-50 ft

Spread:

35-50 ft

Shape:

Rounded Vase-Like

Bloom:

Ornamentally insignificant

Blooming period:

Aug - Sep

Fruit:

Single-seeded samaras surrounded by a flat, papery wing emerge after blooms and mature in the fall

Foliage:

Leaves are elliptic, growing to 3" long, and are a shiny dark green

Fall:

Leaves typically turn dull yellow, but occasionally can be red to purple

Bark:

Thinner bark than most Elms; it is mottled and peeling

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Summer

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Low

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 9a

Other:

ALB Host
Lowbush Blueberry

Common:

Lowbush Blueberry

Scientific:

Vaccinium angustifolium

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

0.5-2 ft

Spread:

1.5-2 ft

Shape:

Spreading

Bloom:

White, bell-shaped flowers, 0.25" in diameter

Blooming period:

May - Jun

Fruit:

Bluish-black, sweet and edible fruit (up to 0.5" across). Matures in mid to late summer

Foliage:

Alternate leaf arrangement. Lanceolate leaf shape, 0.33"-0.75" long with serrulate leaf margins

Fall:

Foliage turns a reddish, bronze color

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Loam

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 7b

Other:

Native
Highbush Blueberry

Common:

Highbush Blueberry

Scientific:

Vaccinium corymbosum

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

6-12 ft

Spread:

8-12 ft

Shape:

Spreading

Bloom:

0.33" long urn-shaped white to very light pink flowers. Borne in groups in auxiliary. Blooms are typically numerous and somewhat showy

Blooming period:

May

Fruit:

0.25"-0.5" diameter blue-black berry that is eaten readily by wildlife and humans. Ripens July through August

Foliage:

Alternate leaf arrangement. Simple, elliptical shape, 1"-3.5" long and half as wide. Dark green leaf color above with a lighter underside

Fall:

Foliage changes to brilliant shades of red, orange, yellow, and purple

Bark:

Old stems have gray-brown thinly furrowed bark. New shoots are glabrous with yellow-green to reddish color in the winter and are quite attractive on close inspection

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

High

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Loam

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 8a

Other:

Native
Lingonberry

Common:

Lingonberry

Scientific:

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Plant type:

Shrub, Groundcover

Height:

0.5-1 ft

Spread:

1-3 ft

Shape:

Spreading

Bloom:

Pink, bell-shaped flowers occur in small, terminal clusters

Blooming period:

Mar - Apr

Fruit:

Flowers are followed by red, edible berries (0.2 to 0.4 inch in diameter), sometimes called lingonberries, and resemble cranberries

Foliage:

Leaves are ovate, 0.4 to 1 inch long, alternate, leathery, and evergreen. They have a dark green upper surface and a light green underside

Fall:

No significant change in fall color

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Evergreen

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Requires Acid (5.0-7.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 8b
This is an image of the plant Vernonia lettermanii ('Iron Butterfly' cultivar) on a street median, exhibiting its thread-like foliage and purple flowers.

Collections:

Common:

Ironweed

Scientific:

Vernonia lettermannii

'Iron Butterfly'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

2-3 ft

Spread:

2-3 ft

Shape:

Clumping

Bloom:

Terminal corymbs (branched, flat-topped inflorescence) of bright purple flowers that are long-lasting

Blooming period:

Jul - Aug

Foliage:

Finely textured leaves are thin and narrow (up to 3" long and around â…›" wide)

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:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

4a - 9b

Other:

Pollinator

'Iron Butterfly' is noted for its compact, densely mounding habit and showy, long-lasting display of purple blooms.

DEP Residential Plan, Sun and Dry -Option 1 

This is an image of Viburnum ('Pragense' cultivar) in a street median, a shrub with dark-green foliage and oval-shaped leaves.

Common:

Prague Viburnum

Scientific:

Viburnum

'Pragense'

Plant type:

Shrub

Height:

10-12 ft

Spread:

10-12 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Flat cymes (to 6" across) of slightly fragrant, creamy white flowers in spring

Blooming period:

May

Fruit:

Red berries which change to glossy black. They persist to the end of December

Foliage:

Elliptic, dark green leaves (to 4" long). Foliage is evergreen

Fall:

No significant change in fall color

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Evergreen

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Loam

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

5a - 8a

'Pragense' is noted for its evergreen leaves and its clusters of creamy white flowers. 

Download CSV