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Sixty-six perennial ornamental cultivars were established and then grown under low maintenance, intensive weed competition, and severe mowing conditions. These cultivars were evaluated for their potential application for roadside/median beautification. Experimental plots were cleared with Roundup® prior to planting. During the first 3 weeks of establishment, plants were irrigated as needed. Plants were grown for one season, then pruned back to simulate bush-hog mowing. Plants were grown under low maintenance and no weed control conditions for two growing seasons. Plants were evaluated each season for simulated bush-hog damage recovery potential, survivability under severe weed competition, height, and spread. Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measurements showed that height and spread variation had a significant interaction between plant cultivar and time of evaluation. Several Zephyranthes sp. cultivars performed poorly under severe weed competition and mowing damage resulting in a high mortality rate. Cultivars that did perform well for the 2-year evaluation period include Lagerstroemia indica ×fauriei `Natchez,' Lagerstroemia indica ×fauriei `Muskogee,' Vitex agnus-castus `Shoal Creek,' and Myrica cerifera. Rosa × `Chuckles' and Rosa × `Knock Out' cultivars, with their popular showy appearance, performed moderately well and showed high potential for roadside/median beautification applications.