Compilation of Bioretention Plants for the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Midwest Region

This data set is a curated, open-source compilation of bioretention plant species. The data set will be of use to professionals involved in planning, design, and regulatory approval for bioretention basins intended to manage urban stormwater. Planners and designers may make use of the data to inform plant choice for installations in the United States Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions along with southern portions of Ontario, Canada. The data link plant recommendations from five different bioretention design manuals previously published in this region. The data set further links these recommendations to the PLANTS database maintained by the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Wetland Plant List, and a data set of host plants for insect herbivores. In addition to compiling relevant raw data from these sources, this work includes standardized and interpreted information on plant names, qualitative descriptions of environmental tolerance (ponding, drought, and salt tolerance), type of tissue (woody or herbaceous), and whether plant species are native to North America.