Adopt-A-Median Plant List
There are a number of different plants to choose from to plant in the median.When selecting plants for your adopted median the most critical consideration is height. The vegetation in a median must not grow taller than two feet to avoid vision hazards. The occasional narrow spike of height is permitted as long as the planting remains see-through.
We also ask that volunteers use plants that are perennial (live for more than one season), salt-tolerant, and drought-tolerant. There are dozens of native short-grasses, sedges, and ground cover plants that both meet height criteria and thrive in these conditions. We strongly encourage the use of native plants due to their ecological value.
| Type of Plant | Scientific Name | Common Name | Growth Habit | Full Sun | Partial Sun | Shade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildflower | Anemone canadensis | Canada anemone | Ground cover | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Geranium maculatum | Wild geranium | Ground cover | x | x | x |
| Wildflower | Fragaria virginiana | Wild strawberry | Ground cover | x | x | x |
| Wildflower | Ruella humilis | Wild petunia | Ground cover | x | ||
| Wildflower | Campanula rotundifolia | Harebell | Individual | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Geum triflorum | Prairie smoke | Individual | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Liatris aspera | Rough blazing star | Individual | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Lupinus perennis | Lupine | Individual | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Allium cernuum | Nodding onion | Individual | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Drymocallis arguta | Prairie cinquefoil | Individual | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Coreopsis lanceolata | Sand coreopsis | Individual | x | ||
| Wildflower | Rudbeckia hirta | Black-eyed Susan | Individual | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Blephilia ciliata | Downy wood mint | Patch-forming | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Symphyotricum ericoides | Heath aster | Patch-forming | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Verbena stricta | Hoary vervain | Patch-forming | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Coreopsis palmata | Prairie coreopsis | Patch-forming | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Monarda punctata | Spotted bee-balm | Patch-forming | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Asclepias verticillata | Whorled milkweed | Patch-forming | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Asclepias tuberosa | Butterfly milkweed | Tidy clump | x | x | |
| Wildflower | Polemonium reptans | Jacob's ladder | Tidy clump | x | x | x |
| Grasses & Sedges | Bromus kalmii | Prairie brome | See-through grass | x | x | |
| Grasses & Sedges | Bouteloua curtipendula | Sideoats grama | Tidy clump | x | x | |
| Grasses & Sedges | Sporobulus heterolepis | Prairie dropseed | Tidy clump | x | x | |
| Grasses & Sedges | Schizachyrium scoparium | Little bluestem | Tidy clump | x | x | |
| Grasses & Sedges | Carex vulpinoidea | Brown fox sedge | Tidy clump | x | x | |
| Grasses & Sedges | Carex molesta | Field oval sedge | Tidy clump | x | x | x |
| Grasses & Sedges | Carex sprengelii | Long-beaked sedge | Tidy clump | x | x | |
| Shrubs | Amorpha canescens | Leadplant | Shrub-like | x | x |