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

Silver linden

Common:

Sterling Silver Linden

Scientific:

Tilia tomentosa

'Sterling'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-70 ft

Spread:

40-60 ft

Shape:

Pyramidal

Bloom:

Fragrant, pale yellow flowers bloom in drooping cymes

Blooming period:

May - Jul

Fruit:

Small nutlets attached to bract-like, leafy wings (up to 2.5" long) appear after flowering

Foliage:

Dark green leaves (to 3" long) are ovate with serrate margins and undersides that are silvery-white

Fall:

Undistinguished pale green to pale yellow

Bark:

Younger trees have smooth grey bark that becomes more ridged as the tree ages

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage, Distinctive Bark

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

4b - 8a

Other:

ALB Host

'Sterling' is noted for its dark green leaves that have a silvery underside. It is also know to have good tolerance of heat and drought with some resistance to Japanese beetle. 

Silver linden

Collections:

Common:

Satin Shadow™ Linden

Scientific:

Tilia tomentosa

'Sashazam'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-70 ft

Spread:

40-60 ft

Shape:

Pyramidal

Bloom:

Fragrant, pale yellow flowers bloom in drooping cymes

Blooming period:

May - Jul

Fruit:

Small nutlets attached to bract-like, leafy wings (up to 2.5" long) appear after flowering

Foliage:

Dark green leaves (to 3" long) are ovate with serrate margins and undersides that are silvery-white

Fall:

Undistinguished pale green to pale yellow

Bark:

Younger trees have smooth grey bark that becomes more ridged as the tree ages

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

4b - 8a

Other:

ALB Host

'Sashazam' is noted for its uniform, symmetrical growth and its foliage that shimmers in the wind to reveal the silvery undersides of the leaves. This cultivar is reported to be resistant to beetle damage and disease. 

Silver linden

Common:

Green Mountain® Silver Linden

Scientific:

Tilia tomentosa

'PNI 6051'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-70 ft

Spread:

40-60 ft

Shape:

Pyramidal

Bloom:

Fragrant, pale yellow flowers bloom in drooping cymes

Blooming period:

May - Jul

Fruit:

Small nutlets attached to bract-like, leafy wings (up to 2.5" long) appear after flowering

Foliage:

Dark green leaves (to 3" long) are ovate with serrate margins and undersides that are silvery-white

Fall:

Undistinguished pale green to pale yellow

Bark:

Younger trees have smooth grey bark that becomes more ridged as the tree ages

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

4b - 8a

Other:

ALB Host

'Green Mountain' is noted for its faster growth rate and for being more tolerant of heat and drought. 

This is an image of a young Tilia tomentosa tree with light green leaves and grey bark, that is located on a sidewalk.

Collections:

Common:

Silver Linden

Scientific:

Tilia tomentosa

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

50-70 ft

Spread:

40-60 ft

Shape:

Pyramidal

Bloom:

Fragrant, pale yellow flowers bloom in drooping cymes

Blooming period:

May - Jul

Fruit:

Small nutlets attached to bract-like, leafy wings (up to 2.5" long) appear after flowering

Foliage:

Dark green leaves (to 3" long) are ovate with serrate margins and undersides that are silvery-white

Fall:

Undistinguished pale green to pale yellow

Bark:

Younger trees have smooth grey bark that becomes more ridged as the tree ages

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Dry to Med

Hardiness:

4b - 8a

Other:

ALB Host
Caucasian linden

Collections:

Common:

Crimean Linden

Scientific:

Tilia x euchlora

'Laurelhurst'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-60 ft

Spread:

20-30 ft

Shape:

Pyramidal Upright

Bloom:

Fragrant, pale yellowish-white flowers bloom in drooping clusters

Blooming period:

May - Jun

Fruit:

Small, brown nutlets attached to papery bracts appear after flowering

Foliage:

Leaves are ovate to rounded, 2-4" long with serrated margins and irregular bases

Fall:

Leaves turn a pale green to pale yellow

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 8b

Other:

Pollinator, Fall Dig Safe, ALB Host

'Laurelhurst' is noted for its symmetrical branching and dense, green foliage. 

This is an image of Tilia x euchlora, indicating its columnar shape and heart-shaped leaves, that are dark-green.

Collections:

Common:

Caucasian Linden

Scientific:

Tilia x euchlora

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-60 ft

Spread:

20-30 ft

Shape:

Pyramidal

Bloom:

Fragrant, pale yellowish-white flowers bloom in drooping clusters

Blooming period:

May - Jun

Fruit:

Small, brown nutlets (0.2-0.3" in diameter) are slightly ornamental in late summer

Foliage:

Dark green leaves (up to 4") are ovate with finely serrated margins

Fall:

Undistinguished yellow fall color

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

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

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

3a - 8a

Other:

Fall Dig Safe, ALB Host
Virginia Spiderwort

Collections:

Common:

Virginia Spiderwort

Scientific:

Tradescantia virginiana

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

1.5-3 ft

Spread:

1-1.5 ft

Shape:

Clumping

Bloom:

Three-petaled flowers (up to 1.5" diameter) with contrasting yellow stamens open up for only one day, blooming in succession

Blooming period:

May - Jul

Fruit:

Non-fruiting

Foliage:

Dark green leaves are iris-like with an arching habit, typically 1' long by 1" wide fold lengthwise to form a groove

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Distinctive Foliage

Level of Maintenance:

Medium

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Medium

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Med

Hardiness:

4a - 9a

Other:

Native

DEP Sun/Part Shade Plan 2

Dwarf Cattail

Common:

Dwarf Cattail

Scientific:

Typha minima

Plant type:

Perennial

Height:

1.5-2 ft

Spread:

1-1.5 ft

Shape:

Clumping

Bloom:

Small flowers are monoecious with male flowers being yellowish in color and female flowers are green. Both sexes can be found on the same plant and are pollinated by wind

Blooming period:

Jul - Nov

Fruit:

Pollinated female flowers mature into a rich brown, rounded seed about 2" long

Foliage:

Leaves are grass-like and have an upright form

Fall:

Foliage turns yellow-brown

Special Qualities:

Showy Blooms, Showy Fruit

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer, Fall

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Not available

Soil:

Sand, Loam, Clay

Moisture:

Wet/Flood

Hardiness:

3a - 10b
American Elm

Common:

American Elm

Scientific:

Ulmus

'Valley Forge'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

60-70 ft

Spread:

50-60 ft

Shape:

Vase-Like Upright

Bloom:

Ornamentally insignificant

Blooming period:

Mar - Apr

Fruit:

Rounded Samaras (0.5" in diameter) with notched tips. They are greenish-yellow in color and ripen in May through June

Foliage:

Rough-textured, ovate-elliptic, dark green leaves (to 6" long) have toothed margins and asymmetrical bases

Fall:

Leaves turn yellowish-brown, but are not ornamentally important

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:

Summer, Winter

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Loam

Moisture:

Dry to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 9b

Other:

Fall Dig Safe, ALB Host

'Valley Forge' has the best tolerance to Dutch Elm Disease, but can be susceptible to other diseases, like phloem necrosis and wetwood.  

This is a wide-angle image of Ulmus ('Pioneer' cultivar) that has a sparse amount of foliage and grey bark, with buildings and traffic visible.

Common:

Pioneer Elm

Scientific:

Ulmus

'Pioneer'

Plant type:

Trees

Height:

40-60 ft

Spread:

45-50 ft

Shape:

Rounded

Bloom:

Ornamentally insignificant

Blooming period:

Mar - Apr

Fruit:

Tiny seeds are produced in single-seeded samaras that have a flattened papery wing

Foliage:

Large (up to 6"), dark green, roughly textured leaves are ovate-elliptical with toothed margins and asymmetrical bases

Fall:

Undistinguished yellow fall color

Level of Maintenance:

Low

Season of Interest:

Spring, Summer

Light:

Full Sun to Part Shade

Salt:

Low

pH:

Acid to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)

Soil:

Loam

Moisture:

Dry to Wet

Hardiness:

5a - 9b

Other:

Fall Dig Safe, ALB Host

'Pioneer' has excellent resistance to Dutch elm disease, but is susceptible to elm leaf beetle. 

Ideal as a street, parkway, or specimen shade tree.

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