Could you suggest a hardy, drought-resistant perennial plant for a 1' x 5' Pittsburgh parking strip, preferably a plant that is tall and narrow.
Answer
Dear Perry: A great combination that I have used in public spaces is Daylilies, any height is available, so pick the height that suits the site. The best part of using Daylilies is that you can interplant with Daffodils for spring color. The Daylilies then come up and hide the Daffodil foliage. Another suggestion for a plant is the Obedient Plant, Physostegia virginica. It is a tough native plant which is tall and narrow. Another idea would be Brown Eyed Susans, Rudbeckia hirta, another tough plant. The flowers are rather tall but the plant itself is a low mound. Maybe you will want to use a combination of these ideas, but consider the color of the Phuysostegia which is a strong pink that might be difficult with some of the Daylilies and the Rudbeckia.