[PCA] native plants for cities, stormwater management

[Louisa Rogoff Thompson]

I'm looking for information about native plants adapted to various kinds 
of stressful environments, particularly salt and heavy metals.  It's my 
firm belief that plants can take care of soil and water better than 
facilities made of concrete and other man-made materials.  And I prefer 
to use native plants, because they are unlikely to turn out to be 
invasive, and because they are more likely than exotics to form 
collaborative relationships with soil organisms and above-ground wildlife.

I'm currently working on a grad school project to design a landscape for 
a vacant lot which will divert stormwater from the street into the lot 
to be filtered and slowed down.   Most vacant lots previously had 
buildings on them, which means they now have fill dirt, and infiltration 
facilities are not permitted on fill.  So the water has to be returned 
to the storm drain system, but some will evaporate and the rest will be 
returned slowly, reducing the volume of fast-flowing water during the storm.

The man at Baltimore's Dept. of Public Works who issues permits for this 
kind of thing says a solution would be very valuable, and could be used 
on many vacant lots throughout the city.  If I can get this to work, it 
could have a very significant impact.  Did you know that much of 
Baltimore's stormwater is piped directly into the Inner Harbor?  And it 
carries cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, and other heavy metals, mostly 
from tires, some from diesel exhaust, and some from old lead paint.  And 
road salt, in winter.

If you have seen plants either survive or be harmed by road salt, air 
pollution (e.g. from bus exhaust at a bus stop), or heavy metals (e.g., 
lead paint chips in the soil), I'd like to know about it.

Also, if you know of published information please tell me.  I have 
Dirr's Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, which has this kind of 
information for many trees and shrubs.  Is there something comparable 
for herbaceous plants?  I also have Md. Dept. of Environment's 
Stormwater Design Manual, which has a long list of plants, indicating 
tolerance to salt and pollution.  The only plant listed as tolerant to 
both is Eastern white pine.  Most likely this is a list of known 
tolerance, i.e., no check mark means no knowledge, not no tolerance.

Your help will be much appreciated.

Louisa Thompson
Institute of Architecture and Planning
Morgan State University
Baltimore, MD