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Recommended plant list

Traffic garden on curb bulge

Ensure plants used in street gardens will provide visual enjoyment all year long and meet the Green Streets height requirements.

Plants in traffic circles and plants located close to intersections or where visibility is a concern should be kept to 0.6 m (2 ft) or less. Plants in corner bulge gardens that are located away from the intersection should be kept to a maximum of 1 m (3 ft). View the list of shrubs and plants that flourish in Vancouver.

View this list on your mobile device, or if you prefer, you can print a copy to take with you to the plant nursery.

 

Plant categories

Shrubs for traffic circles and corner bulges

0.6 m (2 ft) or lower
Botanical Name Common Name Height (m) Flower Colour Traits
Calluna vulgaris var. Heather 0.30 varies winter interest
Dalphne cneorum Rose Dalphne 0.20 white/pink winter interest
Erica x darleyensis 'Kramer's Rote' Kramer's Red Heath 0.30 red winter interest
Euonymous fortunei 'Emerald and Gold' Emerald and Gold Wintercreeper 0.60 n/a winter interest
Genista pilosa 'Vancouver Gold' Woodwaxen 0.60 yellow winter interest
Hebe pinguifolia 'Pagei' Pagei Grey Hebe 0.30 white winter interest
Helianthemum nummularium Sun Rose 0.15 yellow winter interest
Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' English Lavender 0.60 purple winter interest
Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead' Munstead Lavender 0.46 blue/purple winter interest
Lonicera pileata Privet honeysuckle 0.60 white winter interest
Nandina domestica 'Fire Power' Fire Power Heavenly Bamboo 0.60 n/a winter interest
*Mahonia nervosa Longleaf Mahonia 0.46 yellow winter interest
Rosa 'Simon Fraser' Simon Fraser Rose 0.60 pink
Rosa meidiland 'Pearl' Pearl Meidiland Rose 0.60 pastel ochre
Rosa meidiland 'Red' Red Meidiland Rose 0.60 red
Rosa meidiland 'White' White Meidiland Rose 0.60 white
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' Creeping Rosemary 0.15 blue winter interest
Santolina chamaecyparissus Cotton Lavender 0.50 yellow winter interest
Spirea japonica 'Magic Carpet' Magic Carpet Spirea 0.46 pink

* Native to BC

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Shrubs for corner bulges only

1.0 m (3 ft) or less
Botanical Name Common Name Height (m) Flower Colour Traits
Buxus microphylla 'Winter Gem' Littleleaf Boxwood 1.00 n/a winter interest
Ceratostigma willmottianum Chinese Plumbago 1.00 blue
Cistus x corbariensis Rock Rose 0.90 white-yellow winter interest
Cistus 'Silver Pink' Silver Pink Rock Rose 0.90 silver/pink winter interest
Dalphne cneorum Rose Dalphne 0.20 white/pink winter interest
Escallonia 'Newport Dwarf' Newport Dwarf Escallonia 1.00 red winter interest
Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety' Emerald Gaiety Wintercreeper 1.00 green/white winter interest
Hebe x franciscana 'Blue Gem' Blue Gem Hebe 1.00 pink/purple winter interest
Hebe rakaiensis Hebe 0.90 white winter interest
Ilex crenata 'Green Thumb' Japanese Holly 1.00 white/yellow winter interest
*Mahonia aquifolium 'Compacta' Dwarf Oregon Grape 0.90 yellow winter interest
Phygelius rectus 'Salmon Leap' Cape Fuchsia 1.00 salmon
Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken' Otto Luyken Laurel 1.00 white winter interest
Rosa explorer 'Champlain' Champlain Explorer Rose 1.00 red
Rosa explorer 'Frontenac' Frontenac Explorer Rose 0.90 pink
Rosa meidiland 'Scarlet' Scarlet Meidiland Rose 1.00 scarlet

* Native to BC

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Ornamental Grasses

Botanical Name Common Name Height (m) Flower Colour Traits
Carex buchananii Leatherleaf Sedge 0.70 n/a
Carex flacca Blue Sedge 0.70 n/a
Carex morrowii 'Aurea variegata' Japanese Sedge 0.50 n/a winter interest
Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance' Japanese Sedge 0.30 n/a winter interest
Festuca glauca 'Pepindale Blue' Blue Fescue 0.64 n/a winter interest
Helictotrichon sempervirens Blue Oat Grass 0.60 n/a winter interest
Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra' Japanese Blood Grass 0.40 n/a winter interest
Liriope muscari Lilly Turf 0.46 n/a winter interest
Molinia caerulea 'Moorhexe' Molinia Moorhexe 0.46 n/a winter interest
Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' Dwarf Fountain Grass 0.70 n/a winter interest
Sisyrinchium douglasii Blue Eyed Grass 0.30 n/a winter interest
Stipa tenuissima Mexican Feather Grass 0.60 n/a winter interest

* Native to BC

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Herbaceous Perennials

Botanical Name Common Name Height (m) Flower Colour Traits
Alchemilla mollis Lady's mantle 0.60 green/yellow
Agastache cana Hummingbird's mint 0.70 pink/purple
Aquilegia caerulea 'Dragonfly' Colombine Dragonfly hybrids 0.46 various
Amsonia tabernaemontana Willow Blue-Star 0.60 pale blue
Arabis procurrens Rock Cress 0.08 white
Armeria maritima Sea Thrift 0.20 white, pink
Artemesia stelleriana 'Boughton Silver' Boughton Silver Wormwood 0.20 yellow
Artemesia arborescens 'Powis Castle' Powis Castle Wormwood 0.50 yellow
Bergenia cordifolia Heartleaf Bergenia 0.60 pale red
Centranthus ruber Red Valerian 0.60 varies
Cerastium tomentosum Snow in Summer 0.08 white
Coreopsis rosea 'American Dream' Pink Coreopsis 0.60 pale red
Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' Tickseed 0.46 yellow
Echinacea purpurea 'Kim's Knee High' Dwarf Purple Coneflower 0.60 pink
Echinops ritro Small Globe Thistle 0.60 blue
Eryngium planum 'Sapphire Blue' Sapphire Blue Flat Sea Holly 0.70 blue
Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve' Wallflower 0.60 varies
Euphorbia x martinii Martin's Spurge 0.60 yellow/green winter interest
Euphorbia myrsinites Donkey-Tail Spurge 0.10 yellow/green winter interest
Geranium 'Philippe Vapelle' Cranesbill 0.38 purple
Helianthemum nummularium Sun Rose 0.15 yellow
Hemerocallis stella d'oro Daylily 0.30 yellow
Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple' Palace Purple Coral Bells 0.60 pink/white
Iris tenax Oregon Iris 0.36 varies
Liatris spicata 'Kobold' Blazing Star 0.50 purple
Leucanthemum x superbum Snow Cap Daisy 0.60 white
Penstemon 'Purple Haze' Purple Haze Beardtongue 0.76 magenta
*Polystichum munitum Western Swordfern (for shade only) 0.70 n/a winter interest
Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' Orange coneflower 0.60 yellow winter interest
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' Autumn Joy Stonecrop 0.58 pink winter interest
Sedum 'Herbstfreude' Herbstfreude Sedum 0.70 pink/purple
Stachys byzantina Lamb's Ear 0.46 varies
Tanacetum coccineum Painted Daisy 0.76

* Native to BC

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Groundcovers

Botanical Name Common Name Height (m) Flower Colour Traits
Erica sp. Spring Flowering Heather 0.60 n/a winter interest
Euonymous fortunei 'Coloratus' Purple-leafed Wintercreeper 0.60 white winter interest
Iberis sempervirens Candytuft 0.30 blue winter interest
Laurentia fluviatilis Blue Star Creeper 0.05 blue
Lithodora 'Grace Ward' Grace Ward Lithodora 0.10 varies winter interest
Phlox subulata Creeping Phlox 0.15 pink winter interest
Sedum acre 'Aureum' Golden Stonecrop 0.08 gold winter interest
Sedum spurium Two-row Stonecrop 0.15 red winter interest
Sedum telephium 'Xenox' Upright Stonecrop 0.25 pink winter interest
Thymus pseudolanuginosus Wooly Thyme 0.10 pink

* Native to BC

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