Parking Strip Guidelines

The City encourages the planting of shade trees on the parking strip. However, due to narrow parking strips bound by streets and sidewalks, these planting areas can be challenging to grow.

The City has adopted regulations in order to ensure that the living ground cover planted in this area will be beneficial to the property and city with a minimum of problems for the tree, the property owner, and the City. Trees and plants other than grass that are permitted on the parking strip are selected based on the ability to grow, height of plants, our climate, and their ability to co-exist with required clearances.

Refer to the Street Tree Guide for selecting a tree to grow in your parking strip. Please review the guidelines before planning your parking strip landscaping as well. You can find more information on the parking strip ordinance by contacting Code Enforcement.

Parking Strip Guidelines

Other Parking Strip Rules

  • The parking strip must be 5 feet or wider before a tree can be planted. 
  • Trees should be at least 1 inch thick when planted. 
  • Trees should be spaced 40 feet apart and must not be planted under overhead utility lines.  
  • Trees should be placed at least 10 feet from a fire hydrant, 10 feet from a driveway, and 15 feet from a streetlight. 
  • Trees on a corner lot should be planted at least 30 feet from the corner (starting at the curb) or 20 feet away from a stop/yield sign. 
  • Hedges and bushes should be trimmed back to the edge of the sidewalk. 
  • Sioux Falls city ordinance requires a minimum 10 feet of clearance above sidewalks and 12-16 feet over streets. Refer to the Project T.R.I.M. Guide to Trimming Street Trees to learn more. 
  • Plants must be maintained at a height of no more than 36” from the top of the curb.
  • Neither plants with thorns, spines, or other sharp rigid parts nor evergreen or deciduous shrubs are allowed.
  • Plant material may not overhang or encroach onto the sidewalk.
  • Wood mulch may be used only on a limited basis around plantings as a water-conservation measure.
  • Turf grass must be maintained at a height of no more than 8”.
  • Boulders and structural encroachments like retaining walls, fences, and steps are prohibited.
  • Landscaping pavers, edging, and nominal-size rock mulch may be used in up to one quarter (1/4) of the parking strip but can’t spill onto the street or sidewalk.

Allowed plants for parking strip

Most often trees and grass are planted in the parking strip. With the nature of the area, grass may be difficult to maintain in this area, so a TOP 10 PLANTS AND FLOWERS list has been provided below. This list was developed as a recommendation and should not be considered definitive.

Annual Flowers

Annuals

Cone Flowers

Cone Flower

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Creeping Phlox

Creeping Phlox

Iris Flowers

Iris

Mums

Mums

Day Lilies

Daylilies

Pasque Flowers

Pasque

Salvia

Salvia

Perennial Geraniums

Perennial Geranium

Recommended street trees

This is the current list of recommended tree species for planting in the City parking strips.

KEY:

  1. Recommended for areas with modified soils or newer developments with healthy soil less than 8 inches deep.
  2. Trees require a minimum parking strip width of 7 feet.

FAMILY: BETULACEAE

Ironwood

Ironwood (2)

Fruit: 1/3 inch nuts in hop-like fruit
Growth Rate: Slow
Lifespan: Short
Shape: Round
Height: 20’ to 40’
Width: 20’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Poor
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Shade to full sun

FAMILY: BIGNONIACEAE

Northern Catalpa

Northern Catalpa (1)

Fruit: Long bean-like pods
Growth Rate: Medium
Lifespan: Short
Shape: Oval
Height: >40’
Width: 30’
Fall Color: Poor
Salt Tolerance: Fair
Moisture: Dry to wet
Exposure: Partial shade to full sun

FAMILY: FABACEAE

American Yellowwood Photo courtesy of: Pat Breen, Oregon State University

American Yellowwood (1)

Fruit: 2 to 3 inch seed pods
Growth Rate: Medium
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Vase
Height: 20’ to 40’
Width: 35’
Fall Color: Fair to excellent
Salt Tolerance: Fair
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Partial shade to full sun

Black Locust Photo courtesy of: William A. Hoch

Black Locust (1)

Fruit: 2 to 4 inch pods
Growth Rate: Fast
Lifespan: Short
Shape: Oval
Height: >40’
Width: 30’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Good
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Full sun

Kentucky Coffeetree

Kentucky Coffeetree (1)

Fruit: Seedless on many cultivars
Growth Rate: Medium
Lifespan: Medium
Shape: Oval
Height: >40’
Width: 35’
Fall Color: Good
Salt Tolerance: Good
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Full sun

Thornless Honeylocust

Thornless Honeylocust (1)

Fruit: Seedless on many cultivars
Growth Rate: Fast
Lifespan: Medium
Shape: Round
Height: >40’
Width: 35’
Fall Color: Good
Salt Tolerance: Good
Moisture: Dry to wet
Exposure: Full sun

FAMILY: FAGACEAE

Bur Oak

Bur Oak (1 and 2)

Fruit: 3/4 to 1-1/2 inch acorn
Growth Rate: Slow
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Round
Height: >40’
Width: 45’
Fall Color: Poor
Salt Tolerance: Fair
Moisture: Dry to wet
Exposure: Full sun

Heritage Oak

Heritage Oak (Quercus x macdanielli)

Fruit: 3/4 inch acorn
Growth Rate: Slow
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Round
Height: >40’
Width: 45’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Fair/Good
Moisture: Dry to wet
Exposure: Full sun

Northern Pine Oak

Northern Pin Oak

Fruit: 1/2” acorn
Growth Rate: Slow
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Round
Height: >40’
Width: 35’
Fall Color: Excellent
Salt Tolerance: Good
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Northern Red Oak Photo courtesy of: Sharon A. Yiesla

Northern Red Oak (1)

Fruit: 5/8 to 1 inch acorn
Growth Rate: Medium
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Round
Height: >40’
Width: 45’
Fall Color: Good
Salt Tolerance: Good
Moisture: Moist
Exposure: Full sun

Swamp White Oak

Swamp White Oak (2)

Fruit: 3/4 to 1-1/2 inch acorn
Growth Rate: Medium
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Round
Height: >40’
Width: 45’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Poor
Moisture: Moist to wet
Exposure: Full sun

FAMILY: GINKGOACEAE

Ginko

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)

Fruit: Seedless on many cultivars
Growth Rate: Medium
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Pyramidal
Height: >40’
Width: 30’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Fair
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Partial shade to full sun

FAMILY: HIPPOCASTANEA

Ohio Buckeye

Ohio Buckeye

Fruit: 1” nut
Growth Rate: Slow
Lifespan: Medium
Shape: Round
Height: 20’–40’
Width: 30’
Fall Color: Fair/Excellent
Salt Tolerance: Fair/Good
Moisture: Moist to wet
Exposure: Partial shade

FAMILY: JUGLANDACEAE

Black Walnut

Black Walnut

Fruit: 1.5”–2” nut
Growth Rate: Fast
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Oval
Height: >40’
Width: 40’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Poor
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Full sun

Shagbark Hickory

Shagbark Hickory

Fruit: 1.5” nut
Growth Rate: Slow
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Oval
Height: 20’–40’
Width: 30’
Fall Color: Poor
Salt Tolerance: Fair
Moisture: Dry to wet
Exposure: Full sun

FAMILY: ROSACEAE

Black Cherry

Black Cherry

Fruit: 1/3” drupe
Growth Rate: Fast
Lifespan: Medium
Shape: Oval
Height: >40’
Width: 30”
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Good
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Partial shade

FAMILY: RUTACEAE

Amur Corktree

Amur Corktree (1)

Fruit: Seedless on many cultivars
Growth Rate: Medium
Lifespan: Medium
Shape: Vase
Height: 20’ to 40’
Width: 30’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Good
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Full sun

FAMILY: TILIACEAE

American Linden

American Linden (1 and 2)

Fruit: 1/3 inch nut-like drupe
Growth Rate: Medium
Lifespan: Short
Shape: Pyramidal
Height: >40’
Width: 30’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Poor
Moisture: Moist
Exposure: Full sun

Little Leaf Linden

Little Leaf Linden (1 and 2)

Fruit: 1/3 inch nut-like drupe
Growth Rate: Medium
Lifespan: Medium
Shape: Pyramidal
Height: >40’
Width: 25’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Poor
Moisture: Moist
Exposure: Full sun

Silver Linden

Silver Linden (2)

Fruit: 1/3 inch nutlet
Growth Rate: Medium
Lifespan: Medium
Shape: Oval
Height: >40’
Width: 45’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Good
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Partial shade to full sun

FAMILY: ULMACEAE

Common Hackberry

Common Hackberry (1)

Fruit: 1/3 inch drupe
Growth Rate: Medium
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Vase
Height: >40’
Width: 35’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Poor
Moisture: Moist to wet
Exposure: Full sun

Elm Hybrid Photo courtesy of: Northscaping.com

Elm Hybrids (1)

Fruit: 1/2 inch disc-shaped samara
Growth Rate: Fast
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Vase
Height: >40’
Width: 50’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Fair to good
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Full sun

Japanese Elm Photo courtesy of: USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Herman, D.E., et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook.
USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck.

Japanese Elm (1)

Fruit: 5/8 inch disc-shaped samara
Growth Rate: Fast
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Vase
Height: 20’ to 40’
Width: 40’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Fair to good
Moisture: Moist
Exposure: Full sun

Wilson Elm Photo courtesy of: Fargo Forestry Department

Wilson Elm (1)

Fruit: Single samara
Growth Rate: Fast
Lifespan: Long
Shape: Vase
Height: 20’ to 40’
Width: 25’
Fall Color: Fair
Salt Tolerance: Fair
Moisture: Dry to moist
Exposure: Partial shade to full sun

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