Schaumburg's Invasive Plant Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles invasive plant rules a little differently. In Schaumburg, Illinois, there are 2 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Prohibited Species

Schaumburg names garlic mustard and purple loosestrife alongside common weeds like ragweed and thistle as nuisance species under Village Code § 90.60(A), and bans letting any of them grow on a property. Owners get five days to cut them after the village's notice, or the village can order removal itself under the same enforcement process used for tall grass.

Key details: Named invasive species: Garlic mustard, purple loosestrife. Also named noxious weeds: Jimson, burdock, ragweed, thistle, cocklebur. Cure period: 5 days after village notice. Coverage: Any premises, no distance limit. Related tree rule: § 154.135(B)(3)(g) invasive tree removal.

Letting garlic mustard, purple loosestrife, or any of the other noxious weeds named in § 90.60(A) grow on a property is a nuisance violation once five days pass after the village's cutting notice. Under § 90.61, the village can then send a crew to cut the growth and bill the owner, turning the cost into a lien on the property ahead of every other claim except unpaid taxes.

Tree-of-Heaven Removal

Schaumburg's landscaping code won't let a developer plant a tree of heaven to satisfy any required landscaping, screening or tree-replacement plan. Village Code § 154.136(I)(1) requires new plantings to come from the approved species list in Table 1, and that table flags Ailanthus (tree of heaven) as an 'unacceptable' tree alongside buckthorn and Russian olive.

Key details: Governing table: Table 1, § 154.136, Unacceptable Trees list. Tree of heaven designation: Ailanthus spp., listed weak wooded/invasive. Effect: Cannot count toward required landscape or replacement plan. Approval override: Village manager may approve alternate species. Related removal rule: § 154.135(B)(3)(g) allows removal of invasive trees.

There's no standalone fine for planting a tree of heaven; the consequence runs through the landscape plan approval process. A landscape plan proposing an unacceptable species from Table 1 will not be approved by the community development director under § 154.136(I)(1) unless the village manager or designee accepts it as a qualifying alternate, and any occupancy permit tied to that plan can be withheld under § 154.136(U) until compliant plantings are installed or a substitute species is approved.

The Bottom Line

Schaumburg's invasive plant rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Schaumburg is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Schaumburg's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.