Due largely to anthropogenic activities, the risk of shallow landslides and erosion has increased enormously over the last ten years. Extreme climate events also exacerbate severe soil loss on hillsides. Although the planting of vegetation is widely recognized as improving soil conservation on slopes, how to plant and manage a vegetated slope can be problematic. Correct identification of the mass-wasting process and site characterization is necessary before choosing the plant species best suited to a given site. The choice of species will be governed by site, climate and target process to be mitigated. To aid the site manager choose the species or mixture of species best suited to a slope, we have developed a web site and data bank containing plant species sorted by their utility for retaining soil on slopes subject to shallow landslides, wind and water erosion. The list of species was compiled from the literature and suitability is based on ecological attributes, shoot and root traits. The data bank is open to experts who can add new information, whereas the general public can access the data freely.