How Sioux Falls Handles Invasive Plant Rules: A Practical Guide

Sioux Falls maintains 135 local ordinances across all categories, and 2 of those deal specifically with invasive plant rules. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Sioux Falls falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Front Yard Gardens

Sioux Falls exempts cultivated front-yard flower and vegetable gardens from its 8-inch vegetation cap, but noxious weeds are still banned everywhere.

Key details: Height cap: 8 inches for regulated vegetation. Garden exemption: Cultivated flower/vegetable gardens exempt. Noxious weeds: Never exempt, any height. Enforcement: City code official, Ch. 40 citations. Unpaid cost: Becomes special assessment lien.

Administrative citation under Title III, Chapter 40; uncorrected nuisance vegetation is cut or sprayed by the city with cost billed to the owner, plus special assessment against the property if unpaid.

Prohibited Species

Sioux Falls prohibits planting any ash tree, Genus Fraxinus, on any property citywide, a response to the invasive emerald ash borer threat to the urban forest.

Key details: Rule: No new ash (Fraxinus) plantings allowed. Citation: City Code § 94.019. Adopted: Ord. 84-18, passed 9-18-2018. Enforced by: Parks and Recreation director. Max penalty: $500 fine / 30 days jail.

No specific penalty is listed for § 94.019, so the citywide general penalty in § 10.999 applies: up to a $500 fine, up to 30 days in the county jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Sioux Falls actively enforces its prohibited species requirements.

The Bottom Line

Sioux Falls'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 Sioux Falls is broadly strict or permissive.

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