Native Plants in Chicagoland · Part 6 of 7
The strip of grass between the sidewalk and the curb goes by a lot of names around here: parkway, boulevard, tree lawn, "the parkway strip." Whatever you call it, it's one of the toughest places to grow anything in the city. It gets road salt and plowed snow all winter, baking heat off the pavement all summer, car doors, dogs, foot traffic, and often the roots of a big street tree.
It's also some of the most visible ground you have, and a native parkway garden can be beautiful. This post covers what Chicago allows (the rules changed in 2026), how to design for the conditions, and which plants actually hold up.
Quick takeaways
- In Chicago, the parkway is city property. You can garden it, but within the city's rules.
- Gardens on the city's Native and Pollinator Garden Registry can now have plants up to 36 inches tall, up from 10.
- Plants must stay under 8 inches in buffer zones along curbs and sidewalks and around hydrants and trees.
- Never build raised beds around a parkway tree, and don't plant, prune or remove parkway trees yourself.
- Design for salt, snow, dogs and car doors: short, tough plants at the edges and a step-out strip along the curb.
Whose land is it?
In Chicago, the parkway belongs to the city, even though the homeowner next to it typically mows and maintains it. That has a few practical consequences:
- Parkway trees are city trees. Only the city's Bureau of Forestry can plant, prune, treat or remove them without a permit. To request a new parkway tree, contact 311.
- Permanent structures need a permit. Fencing, stone borders and other permanent features in the parkway require a Public Way permit from the city.
- No raised planters around trees. The Bureau of Forestry specifically warns against raised beds around parkway trees. Piling soil over roots smothers them, encourages weak roots and sprouts, and can destabilize the tree. The city won't approve planters that raise the soil level around existing trees.
- Utilities run underneath. Call 811 before digging anything deeper than a hand trowel.
The new rules: Chicago's Native and Pollinator Garden Registry
For years, Chicago's weed ordinance treated anything over 10 inches as a weed, and some gardeners were ticketed for parkway plantings of native wildflowers. The city created a Native and Pollinator Garden Registry in 2021 to fix that, but it didn't open for applications until May 2026.
Later that same month, the City Council unanimously raised the height limit for registered parkway gardens from 10 inches to 36 inches. That opens up many of the most popular natives, like black-eyed Susan, butterfly weed and prairie dropseed, which were effectively banned from parkways under the old limit.
Key registry rules:
- Height: up to 36 inches for plants in a registered parkway garden.
- Buffer zones: plants must stay at or under 8 inches along curbs and sidewalks and within set distances of hydrants and trees, to keep sightlines and access clear. The exact distances are in the city's registry guidelines.
- No encroaching on the public sidewalk.
- No bird feeders or birdbaths in registered gardens, and fencing taller than 10 inches requires a permit.
- Plants: natives, plus non-natives only if they're pollinator-friendly. You need to be able to identify what's planted.
To apply, you submit an online form with:
- a photo of the site
- a planting scheme and plant list
- a three-year maintenance plan
- any Public Way permits your design needs
The city provides templates for the maintenance plan. Once approved, your garden goes on a registry that ward superintendents can check before treating a parkway garden as "overgrown."
Find the application, guidelines and templates on the City of Chicago Native and Pollinator Garden Resources page. If you'd rather not register, the safest approach is to keep everything in the parkway under 10 inches.
Designing for the parkway
A good parkway garden is planned in zones, shortest at the edges and tallest in the middle:
Zone | What goes there | Why |
|---|---|---|
Curb edge | A step-out strip of stepping stones, mulch or very low, tough groundcover | People getting out of parked cars will step here no matter what. Plan for it. |
Buffer zones | Plants that stay 8 inches or shorter | Required along curbs and sidewalks and near hydrants and trees. |
Center | Grasses and wildflowers up to 36 inches | Where the color and wildlife value live. |
Under the tree | Shade-tolerant groundcovers planted as small plugs between roots | Protects the tree's roots and fills the dry shade where grass fails. |
A few more design tips:
- Plan for snow. Plows and shovels pile salty snow on the parkway all winter. Plants that die back to the ground handle this better than shrubs, which get broken.
- Put the toughest plants by the street. Research on roadside plantings has found native grasses are generally more salt-tolerant than wildflowers.
- Plant densely. Bare soil and mulch in the parkway invite weeds, litter and foot traffic. A full planting looks cared for.
- Leave a path if the parkway is wide or people regularly cut across it, such as to a gate or a garbage cart.
- Add a low border. A simple edge, or even a small sign, signals the garden is intentional. Remember that permanent edging and fencing over 10 inches need permits.
Planting around a parkway tree
Most of a tree's roots sit in the top foot or so of soil and spread well beyond the canopy. When you plant under a parkway tree:
- Don't add soil or build up the grade, even an inch or two at a time.
- Don't till or use power tools. Dig small holes by hand with a trowel or soil knife.
- Use plugs, which need tiny holes, rather than gallon pots.
- Shift around big roots instead of cutting them.
- Mulch lightly, an inch or two, and keep it off the trunk entirely.
- Water the tree too in dry spells. New plantings and the tree will be competing for the same water at first.
Plants that work in Chicago parkways
Heights below are typical mature heights. Many plants run shorter in a lean, dry parkway than in a rich garden bed.
Edges and buffer zones (8 inches or less)
Plant | Sun | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Pussytoes (Antennaria spp.) | Sun | Silvery mat for dry, poor soil. |
Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) | Sun to part shade | Fills gaps quickly; tolerates some stepping. |
Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata) | Sun to part shade | Takes mowing and light traffic; can be trimmed to stay low. |
Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) | Sun | Low foliage; spring flowers rise a bit higher. Needs good drainage. |
Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) | Shade | Best under the tree canopy. |
Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) | Part shade to shade | Can top 8 inches; mow or trim a couple of times a year in buffer zones. |
Center plantings, sun (up to 36 inches)
Plant | Height | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) | 1–2' | The classic parkway grass: tidy, tough, long-lived. |
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) | 2–3' | Copper-red fall and winter color. Can flop in rich soil. |
Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) | 1–2' | Drought-tough short grass with seeds dangling along one side of the stem. |
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) | 1–2' | Bright orange milkweed; a monarch host plant that loves heat and dry soil. |
Nodding wild onion (Allium cernuum) | 1–2' | Pink summer flowers; tough and compact. |
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) | 1–3' | Short-lived but self-seeds. Fast color for a new garden. |
Aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) | 1–3' | A mound of purple flowers in October, when little else blooms. |
Golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) | 1–2' | Early yellow flowers; host for black swallowtail caterpillars. |
Center plantings, shade (up to 36 inches)
Under a mature parkway tree, mix Pennsylvania sedge and wild ginger with taller shade plants like wild geranium, woodland phlox, wild columbine and zigzag goldenrod. Columbine is a hummingbird favorite and seeds itself into cracks and gaps.
Plants to skip in the parkway
- Tall prairie plants like compass plant, cup plant, big bluestem and tall coneflowers. They're great in a backyard but will exceed 36 inches.
- Common milkweed. It's valuable but tall and spreads aggressively by roots. Use butterfly weed in the parkway instead.
- Shrubs. They block sightlines and get broken by snow piles.
- Edibles. Parkway soil collects runoff from the street, plus dog visits. Grow food elsewhere.
- Anything thorny or that sprawls over the sidewalk.
Maintenance through the year
- Spring: cut back last year's stems in April once temperatures stay above 50°F, so insects overwintering in them have emerged. Rinse salt-crusted soil with a deep watering.
- Summer: weed regularly, water new plantings during dry spells, and trim anything leaning over the sidewalk or creeping above the buffer-zone height.
- Fall: leave most stems standing for winter interest and seeds for birds. Clear anything that blocks the sidewalk or curb.
- Winter: where you can, ask your snow removal crew not to dump salty snow on the planted areas, and use less salt on your own walks.
If your garden is on the registry, keep your maintenance in line with the three-year plan you submitted.
Outside the city
Suburban parkway rules vary widely by village. Some suburbs welcome native parkway plantings and even publish recommended plant lists, often with height limits around 3 feet for sightlines. Others still expect turf. Check your village's public works department before planting.
Native Plants in Chicagoland: the series
- Why Native Plants?
- What Not to Plant (and What to Pull)
- When and How to Plant Natives
- Where to Buy Native Plants in Chicagoland
- Native Groundcovers and Lawn Alternatives
- Native Plants for Boulevards and Parkways (you are here)
- Native Vines, Containers and Small Spaces
Sources
- City of Chicago, Native and Pollinator Garden Resources
- WTTW, Chicago's Native Garden Registry Is Open for Applications
- WTTW, Chicago's Native Garden Registry Reaches New Heights
- Block Club Chicago, Native Plants on Parkways Can Grow to 36 Inches
- Chicago Municipal Code, Section 10-32-055
- City of Chicago, Guidelines to Maintaining the Chicago Parkway
- University of Minnesota, Salt Tolerance in Short-Stature Native Grasses
City rules are summarized here for general information and may change. Confirm current requirements with the City of Chicago before planting in the parkway.
