Boulevard plants must handle a wide variety of issues including road salt! Plants along boulevards must also remain at or below 3 feet in most municipalities due to sight lines. Check with YOUR city’s regulations. Note that trees on boulevards are typically owned by the city. The plants listed below are for full to part sun. If you have more shade than sun, talk with our experts for further advice. There are many cultivars that will tolerate some salt. Below is a list to help you visualize the possibilities!
To avoid plants flopping over onto a sidewalk or roadway, use smaller, sturdier edging plants.
Plants include:
Allium ‘Windy City’ – a great edger as it grows to 8 inches with the flower height and spread of 16 inches. Best in full sun, the beautiful balls of lightly-scented lavender flowers bloom from spring to mid-summer.
Little Bluestem ‘Carousel’ – grows to 2 feet tall with a 32-inch spread. It has blue-green blades with a purplish-bronze bloom. Stunning in autumn.
Catmint ‘Walkers Low’ – the 2007 Perennial of the Year earned its title with masses of beautiful spikes of blue-lavender flowers atop silvery aromatic foliage. It grows to 2 feet tall and wide.
Daylily Yellow ‘Buttered Popcorn’ – You can almost taste it! Growing to 2 feet with the flowers rising to about 32 inches the large blooms are also fragrant and often reblooms later in the season. Hardy to zone 3a.
Daylily Red ‘Chicago Apache’ – Another hardy option, the scarlet-red blooms have a green throat and ruffled edges. It is a vigorous grower up to 2 feet tall with flowers reaching to 32 inches.
Daylily ‘Primal Scream’ – the name is perfect for this 3 foot tall mid to late season bloomer. The huge orange and tangerine flowers have ruffled edges too. Sturdy, strong and easy to care for too.
Feather Reed grass ‘Overdam’ – growing to 4 feet tall, the variegated foliage is pink, white and green. Silver plumes appear in June changing to tan later in the season. It has a 3 foot spread. NOTE: due to it’s height, you need to check with your City. Should you plant this one, place it strategically to avoid sight issues.
Aster ‘Kickin’ Lavender’ – pollinators love aster. This cultivar grows 3 feet tall and wide with profuse bluish lavender flowers from late summer through fall. There’s also ‘Kickin’ Carmine Red' with magenta flowers.
Yarrow ‘Moonshine’ – this zone 3 hardy plant grows to 2 feet tall. It’s silvery gray-green fine foliage is pretty as is, but add the popping yellow flat top flowers and it’s a great plant blooming from June to September.
Yarrow ‘Terra Cotta’ – reaching 18 inches tall, the earthy brown-orange blooms add interesting texture and color. It’s also great for xeriscaping.
