This project investigates strategies to improve establishment of landscape plants on urban freeway roadsides. In the summer and fall of 2018, a series of replicated plots were established along I-696 north of Detroit in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to evaluate landscape plants (shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and grasses) and site preparation practices for slope restoration along urban freeways. Results from this research will inform decisions on site preparation practices and plant selection for similar sites in Michigan and the Midwest. Expanding the range of plant selections for roadside plantings beyond turfgrasses will provide new markets and opportunities for Michigan nurseries.