In 2021, a multidisciplinary team of stormwater professionals was awarded a grant through the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange to complete a first phase towards building a Bioretention Plant Selection Tool (BPST) framework. Biohabitats, a values-based consulting firm with a focus on ecological restoration and sustainable design, was hired to survey stormwater professionals, conduct a literature review of plant functions as they pertain to bioretention performance, and develop an outline of how stormwater practitioners could evolve plant selection to optimize the values that plants provide. This presentation will introduce research concerning the functions plants provide in bioretention and how shifting to performance-based plant selection can advance the implementation of bioretention, optimize stormwater treatment goals, and create cost-efficient installations. The presenter will discuss the creation of a BPST, which is envisioned as a freely available, democratic tool that will help bridge the gap in technical expertise between regulatory agencies and the design community with smaller municipalities or community groups.