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

Astilbe

Collections:

Common:

Deutschland Astilbe

Scientific:

Astilbe

'Deutschland'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

1.5-2 ft

Spread:

1.5-2 ft

Shape:

Mounded

Bloom:

Tiny white flowers densely packed into erect or slightly arching, plume-like flower panicles rising above the foliage on slender upright stems

Blooming period:

May - Jun

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Graceful, fern-like mounds of mostly basal, 2-3 ternately compound, glossy green leaves, usually with sharply-toothed leaflets

Fall:

Ornamentally insignificant. Plant will naturally die back in fall

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Part Sun to Full Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 9a

‘Deutschland’ features a foliage mound (to 18” tall) of lustrous green leaves and upright panicles of pure white flowers on stems rising to 2’ tall in late spring.

Wonderful flowering plant for shady and moist locations.

DEP Especially Shady Plan.

Chinese astilbe

Collections:

Common:

Vision in Red Astilbe

Scientific:

Astilbe Chinensis

'Vision in Red'

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

1.5-2 ft

Spread:

1-1.5 ft

Shape:

Mounded

Bloom:

Tiny dark purplish-red flowers densely packed into erect or slightly arching, plume-like flower panicles rising above the foliage

Blooming period:

Jun - Jul

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant

Foliage:

Graceful, fern-like mounds of mostly basal, 2-3 ternately, bronze to dark green compound leaves (sharply-toothed leaflets) with dark purple stems and petioles

Fall:

Ornamentally insignificant. Plant will naturally die back in fall

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall

Light:

Part Sun to Full Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 8a

‘Vision in Red’ is an upright cultivar that forms a foliage mound (to 12” tall) of dark green leaves with dark purple stems and petioles. Dark purplish-red flowers in thick panicles bloom in late spring to early summer atop branching stems rising to 28” tall. 

More drought, heat, and sun tolerant than other Astilbe species.

DEP Especially Shady Plan.

Japanese painted fern

Common:

Japanese Painted Fern

Scientific:

Athyrium niponicum var. pictum

Plant type:

Groundcover

Height:

1-1.5 ft

Spread:

1.5-2 ft

Shape:

Clumping

Bloom:

Species does not flower

Fruit:

Ornamentally insignificant. Spore-bearing sori form on the underside of the pinnae

Foliage:

Slowly spreading clump of triangular, variegated fronds to 20" long. Fronds are soft grayish-green with silvery hues accented by contrasting dark maroon midribs

Fall:

Plant typically goes dormant following the first frost. Leaves may be trimmed to the ground in late fall or early spring

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Part Sun to Full Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 8a

Best color occurs in light shade as excess sunlight washes out the color. First fronds of spring are the most silvery.

Eastern Baccharis

Collections:

  • Rapid Growth Plants

Common:

Eastern Baccharis

Scientific:

Baccharis halimifolia

Plant type:

Trees, Shrub

Height:

5-12 ft

Spread:

4-8 ft

Shape:

Rounded Upright

Bloom:

Dioecious. Small heads of white flowers in stalked clusters that form terminal leafy inflorescences

Blooming period:

Aug - Oct

Fruit:

Fertile heads are showy, cottony plume-like achene that persist into early winter. Resemble silver paintbrushes. Seeds of the female plant are poisonous

Foliage:

Deep green to gray-green leaves. Alternately arranged, coarsely toothed above the middle of the leaf, with the uppermost leaves having smooth margins

Fall:

Typically a large shrub or small multi-stemmed tree. Plant is semi-evergreen, with the naked stems remaining slightly green throughout the winter

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

High

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Dry to Wet

Hardiness:

5b - 8a

Other:

Native

Tolerant of soil compaction and concrete debris. Good plant for Stormwater Management Practices.

Baptisia australis

Common:

Blue False Indigo

Scientific:

Baptisia australis

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

3-4 ft

Spread:

3-4 ft

Shape:

Mounded Clumping

Bloom:

Blue-purple, lupine-like flowers in erect racemes (to 12") atop flower spikes extending well above the foliage

Blooming period:

May - Jun

Fruit:

Flowers give way to inflated seed pods (up to 2.5" long) which turn charcoal black when ripe

Foliage:

Clover-like, trifoliate, bluish-green leaves (leaflets to 2" long)

Fall:

In late fall the plant turns a silvery-gray. Black seedpods provide ornamental interest if left in place

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

3a - 9a

Other:

Native

Slow plant to establish - may take many years, but very tough afterwards. Tolerates drought and poor soil conditions.

May attract butterflies.

An image of the Betula nigra ('Cully' cultivar) tree with bright-orange bark and small, light-green leaves.

Collections:

Common:

HERITAGE™ River Birch

Scientific:

Betula nigra

'Cully'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-70 ft

Spread:

40-60 ft

Shape:

Oval Pyramidal Columnar Upright

Bloom:

Monoecious flowers appear in drooping, brownish male catkins and smaller, upright, greenish female catkins

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Drooping, catkins (cone-like fruits) containing numerous winged seeds that typically mature in late summer

Foliage:

Leathery, diamond-shaped, medium to dark green leaves (1.5-3.5" long) with doubly toothed margins

Fall:

Fall color can be a good yellow

Bark:

Signature feature for most birches. May be single or multi-stemmed. Salmon-cream-brownish bark exfoliates to reveal a creamy white inner bark

Special Qualities:

Showy Fruit, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay, Heavy Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 9b

Other:

Native, ALB Host

'Cully', often sold as HERITAGE™, is a vigorous, fast-growing, medium-sized tree. Know for it's salmon bark that exfoliates to reveal a white inner bark. 'Cully' is extremely resistant to the bronze birch borer and also has good resistance to leaf spot diseases.

Leaf icon

Collections:

Common:

Dura Heat® River Birch

Scientific:

Betula nigra

'BNMTF'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

30-40 ft

Spread:

25-35 ft

Shape:

Oval Pyramidal Upright

Bloom:

Monoecious flowers appear in drooping, brownish male catkins and smaller, upright, greenish female catkins

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Drooping, catkins (cone-like fruits) containing numerous winged seeds that typically mature in late summer

Foliage:

Superior foliage that is smaller and closer together. Leathery, diamond-shaped, medium to dark green leaves with doubly toothed margins

Fall:

Improved fall color that is more reliably yellow

Bark:

Signature feature for most birches. Features a better creamy white to salmon-pink-orange bark which exfoliates to reveal lighter inner bark

Special Qualities:

Showy Fruit, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay, Heavy Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 9b

Other:

Native, ALB Host

DURA-HEAT® is a somewhat smaller cultivar that features better creamy white bark color, better tolerance to summer heat, better insect and disease resistance and superior foliage to the species.

An image of a Betula nigra tree with its large foliage, covering a red-brick apartment.

Collections:

Common:

River Birch

Scientific:

Betula nigra

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-70 ft

Spread:

40-60 ft

Shape:

Oval Pyramidal Columnar Upright

Bloom:

Monoecious flowers appear in drooping, brownish male catkins and smaller, upright, greenish female catkins

Blooming period:

Apr - May

Fruit:

Drooping, catkins (cone-like fruits) containing numerous winged seeds that typically mature in late summer

Foliage:

Leathery, alternate, diamond-shaped medium green leaves about 2" to 4" long. Paler, almost silvery on the underside

Fall:

Leaves may turn a bright golden yellow, but fall color is often dull and brownish-yellow

Bark:

A signature feature for most birches. May be single or multi-stemmed. Salmon-pink to reddish brown bark exfoliates with a papery appearance to reveal lighter inner bark

Special Qualities:

Showy Fruit, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay, Heavy Clay

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

4a - 9b

Other:

Native, ALB Host

Generally adaptable and most heat tolerant of the birches. Prefers wet sites and does best in moist, acidic, fertile soils. Best foliage occurs in full sun.

Parks recommends single-stem only when used as a street tree.

Asian white birch

Common:

Whitespire Grey Birch

Scientific:

Betula populifolia

'Whitespire'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

20-40 ft

Spread:

10-20 ft

Shape:

Columnar

Bloom:

Monoecious. Tiny flowers appear in early spring. Male flowers, in single catkins, are yellow brown while females are green

Blooming period:

Apr

Fruit:

Drooping cone-like fruits containing numerous small winged seeds that typically mature in late summer

Foliage:

Long-pointed, triangular, dark green leaves (each up to 3" long) that are double-toothed and shiny with tapered tips

Fall:

Leaves turn an attractive yellow

Bark:

Signature feature for birches. Often multi-stemmed, but can be single-stemmed. Non-peeling, chalky white bark with dark chevron trunk patches appearing below each branch base

Special Qualities:

Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Neutral (5.0-7.4)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Med to Wet

Hardiness:

3a - 6a

Other:

ALB Host

'Whitespire' is best known for its upright form, non-exfoliating white bark, dark green leaves and attractive yellow fall color. 

Can be found on the High Line.

Bouteloua curtipendula

Common:

Sideoats Grama

Scientific:

Bouteloua curtipendula

Plant type:

Grass/Grass-like

Height:

1.5-2.5 ft

Spread:

1.5-2 ft

Shape:

Clumping

Bloom:

Inflorescences of greenish, reddish, or purplish-tinged flowers appear on one side of arching stems rising above the foliage

Blooming period:

Jul - Aug

Fruit:

As the flowers transition to seed they morph into light-tan pendant oat-like clusters

Foliage:

Narrow, green-bluish-gray leaf blades (to 0.25" wide) typically form a dense clump growing 1-1.5' tall

Fall:

Foliage turns golden brown in autumn, sometimes also developing interesting hues of orange and red. Cut back to the ground in early spring

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit, Distinctive Foliage, Fall Color

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Summer, Fall, Winter

Light:

Full Sun Only

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

4a - 9a

Other:

Native
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