Hell strip landscaping works when you stop planting grass in the strip between sidewalk and street and plant things that treat heat, drought, salt and foot traffic as normal: low, tough perennials, grasses and groundcovers, a mulch that stays put, and clear paths for people stepping out of cars. That strip (also called a parkway, tree lawn or park strip) is the worst growing environment on your property. It's baked by pavement on both sides, compacted by feet and car doors, salted in winter, visited by every dog in the neighborhood, and usually out of the sprinklers' reach. It's also usually public right-of-way, so check the rules before you dig.
Why the hell strip earns its name
Add up what this rectangle endures: reflected heat from two slabs of pavement, shallow compacted soil (often construction fill), road salt and plowed snow, no shade, foot traffic, and drought, because even people who water their lawn faithfully forget the strip. It's the yard's version of a highway median. That's useful, because a whole category of plants comes from places just like it: rocky slopes, prairie edges and roadsides. Plant those and the hell strip becomes one of the easiest beds you own.
Check the rules before you dig
The strip is usually city-owned right-of-way that you're required to maintain. Landscaping it is typically allowed, with conditions, and cities differ a lot. Denver is a good example of how specific the rules get:
- Denver code requires property owners to maintain trees in the right-of-way next to their property, and a (free) permit is required to plant or remove a street tree.
- Denver's Street Tree Planting Guide says rock is not an approved groundcover treatment around street trees, including pea gravel, cobble, river rock and crusher fines, because rock holds heat and raises soil temperature. It also says not to use landscape fabric, and recommends wood mulch 3–4 inches deep, kept at least 6 inches from the trunk, with low-growing plants around the tree.
- The same guide keeps new street trees 30 feet back from intersecting curbs to preserve the sight triangle.
Wherever you live:
- Call 811 before digging. Utilities often run shallow under the strip. In Colorado, contact Colorado 811 at least three business days ahead.
- Check height limits. Many cities limit plant height in the strip, especially near corners and driveways, to keep drivers' sight lines clear. Look up your city's code or call public works.
- Leave access. People need to step from parked cars to the sidewalk. Add stepping stones or a flagstone landing at the curb.
- Check HOA rules if one applies.
Some utilities pay for strip conversions. Utah's statewide Landscape Incentive Program, for example, lists park strip conversions as a project option. Apply and get approval before you remove grass; see the lawn-removal rebate guide or the Colorado rebate page.
The conversion, condensed
- Remove the grass. The strip is small enough that a flat spade or a rented sod cutter handles it in an hour or two (removal methods compared).
- Loosen the soil and amend lightly, if at all. Fork the compacted soil open. Most strip plants prefer lean soil, so skip heavy compost (soil prep details).
- Plant small. Small plants establish faster in tough soil, and they're cheap to replace when a car door claims one.
- Mulch to match the rules and the plants. Gravel stays put and shrugs off foot traffic, and it suits dry-crown perennials. Where there's a street tree, or your city requires it, use wood mulch around the tree instead (gravel vs. wood mulch). A band of cobble along the curb gives feet and dogs somewhere harmless to land.
- Water to establish, then back off. A drip line on a battery timer for the first season or two (drip install guide). Many strip plantings need little supplemental water after that, but street trees usually still need deep watering in dry spells.
Plants that thrive on abuse
Low, tough and heat-proof:
| Role | Plants | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Groundcovers | Hardy ice plant, creeping veronica, hens-and-chicks, creeping thyme | Under 6 in |
| Low perennials | Blanket flower, catmint, sulphur buckwheat, chocolate flower | 6–24 in |
| Taller accents (away from corners) | Penstemon, agastache | 18–36 in |
| Grasses | Blue grama, buffalograss, prairie dropseed | 12–36 in |
| Structure | Half-buried boulders | Keep below sight lines |
Heights come from our plant data; check them against your city's limit. Blue grama and buffalograss also make a mowable green ribbon if you want one (the low-water lawn option). More choices are in drought-tolerant groundcovers and full-sun drought-tolerant plants.
In snowy cities, plowed snow and road salt pile up on the curb side. Put your toughest plants there and keep the most delicate ones toward the sidewalk. A flowering strip is also pollinator habitat in a spot that fed nothing before (pollinator plants).
Design notes for a strip 3–6 feet wide
- Repeat, don't collect. Three to five species repeated down the strip reads as intentional. Fifteen species reads as a plant rescue.
- Mass in drifts of odd numbers and let groundcovers run between them.
- Keep plants back from the curb far enough for car doors to swing and people to step out.
- Think in seasons. Grasses and seedheads carry the strip through winter after the flowers finish.
- Keep it low at corners and driveways, where drivers need to see over it.
Regional notes
Rules and climate vary by city. Our city guides cover local plant lists and programs: Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City and Boise.
Why this is the best first project
The hell strip is small, cheap, self-contained and usually already struggling, so there's little risk of ruining something good. It's a good trial run before converting a whole front yard, and because it's the most public square footage you own, it's where neighbors stop and ask questions.
From our installs: hell strips are among the most common first projects we see on the Front Range. The failures follow a pattern: rock over fabric around a street tree (which Denver doesn't allow), plants too tall at the corner, and nothing planted where people step out of cars, so the bed gets trampled. The ones that thrive use short, repeated plants, a clear landing at the curb, wood mulch around the tree, and a drip line on a timer for the first summer.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hell strip?
It's the strip of ground between the sidewalk and the street, also called a parkway, tree lawn, park strip or verge. It's usually city right-of-way that the adjacent homeowner must maintain, and its heat, compaction, salt and foot traffic make it hard for grass.
What is the best thing to plant in a hell strip?
Low, tough, drought-tolerant plants: groundcovers like hardy ice plant and creeping veronica, low perennials like blanket flower, catmint and sulphur buckwheat, and native grasses like blue grama. Keep taller plants away from corners and driveways.
Can I put rocks in my hell strip?
It depends on your city. Rock and gravel are common strip mulches, but some cities restrict them. Denver, for example, doesn't allow rock as a groundcover around street trees and recommends wood mulch there instead. Check your city's right-of-way rules first.
Do I need a permit to landscape my parkway?
Often not for low plantings, but many cities require permits for planting or removing street trees, and some regulate hardscape, height and materials. Call your city's forestry or public works office, and always call 811 before digging.
