Hellstrip Garden
Tough boulevard or curbside zones.
Hot, dry in the summer, wet and salty in the winter.
Often low-nutrient, compacted soil.
Plants must tolerate reflected heat from pavement.
-
Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata) -
Blue Wildrye (Elymus glaucus) -
Bluehead Gilia (Gilia capitata) -
Broad-leaved Stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium) -
California Oatgrass (Danthonia californica) -
Coastal Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) -
Creeping Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens) -
Douglas Aster (Symphyotrichum subspicatum) -
Dune Wildrye (Elymus mollis) -
Giant Wildrye (Elymus condensatus) -
Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) -
Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis) -
Kinnikinnick aka 'Bearberry' -
Lewis Flax (Linum lewisii) -
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) -
Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) -
Nootka Reed Grass (Calamagrostis nutkaensis) -
Northern Sweetvetch (Hedysarum boreale) -
Pacific Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus) -
Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) -
Prairie Junegrass (Koeleria macrantha) -
Red fescue (Festuca rubra) -
Red Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) -
Roemer's fescue (Festuca roemeri)
Design & Practical Tips for a
BC Hellstrip Garden:
Focus on drought tolerance: Choose species from dry sites (rocky slopes, open meadows, Garry oak ecosystems) rather than forest plants.
Plant in groups: 3–7 plants of the same species make a stronger visual impact and are easier for pollinators to find.
Mulch lightly with gravel or coarse bark at the start to reduce weeds and help establishment.
Start small and tough: Grasses, yarrow, blanketflower, kinnikinnick, and coastal strawberry make an excellent core mix.