New Orleans's Landscaping Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles landscaping rules a little differently. In New Orleans, Louisiana, there are 4 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.

Weed Ordinances

New Orleans's nuisance code requires every property owner, occupant or lessee to cut and mow grass and weeds so they never rise above ten inches, under City Code § 66-312. Violators face escalating fines of $75, $150 and $200 after a correction notice goes unanswered.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 66-312. Height limit: 10 inches, grass and weeds. Correction notice window: 5 days, including weekends/holidays. Fine schedule: $75 / $150 / $200 at 0/30/60 days. Maximum fine: Up to $1,000 per violation.

Section 66-312(f) caps the fine at up to $1,000 per violation, but the routine schedule in § 66-313 runs $75 for the initial citation, $150 if unpaid or uncorrected after 30 days, and $200 after 60 days. If the five-day correction window in § 66-314 lapses, § 66-315 lets the city or its designee mow or abate the property itself and bill the owner, and § 66-317 preserves the New Orleans Police Department's separate authority to issue a summons triable in Municipal Court.

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees

New Orleans requires written approval from the Department of Parks and Parkways before anyone cuts, prunes, treats or removes a tree on city property or in the public right-of-way. The rule, rewritten in March 2025, covers only city-owned trees: private-property tree removal falls under the separate Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

Key details: Approving authority: Dept. of Parks and Parkways. Scope: City property & right-of-way trees only. First-offense fine: Up to $1,000.00 (§1-13). Repeat-offense fine: Up to $2,000.00 (§1-13). Replacement ratio: 1 caliper inch per inch DBH removed.

Section 106-220 makes any violation of the tree article subject to the Code's general penalty under Section 1-13: a fine of up to $1,000.00 for a first offense and up to $2,000.00 for repeat offenses, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. The department can also issue a stop-work order, and anyone who willfully destroys a city tree must pay for its replacement or plant a same-size specimen with a one-year watering contract and five-year warranty.

This is one of the stricter rules in New Orleans's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Tree Trimming

Residents can ask the Department of Parks and Parkways in writing to prune or cut back a city tree adjoining their property under Code § 106-219, but the work must be done by a licensed arborist with at least ten working days' advance notice and prior written departmental approval.

Key details: Governing section: § 106-219, Ch. 106 Art. IV. Who can request: Adjoining/adjacent private property owner. Advance notice required: At least 10 working days. Who performs the work: Licensed arborist only. Self-help prohibited: No personal cutting without written OK.

Pruning or cutting a city tree without the department's prior written permission, without the required ten working days' notice, or using someone other than a licensed arborist violates § 106-219 and Article IV generally, triggering the § 1-13 general penalty via § 106-220, with each day of the violation a separate offense. The department may issue a stop-work order for unapproved pruning in progress and can require the responsible party to bear the cost of repairing or replacing any tree improperly cut.

Composting

New Orleans has no ordinance banning home composting, so residents may compost yard and food scraps. Composting must not create odor, rodent, or nuisance conditions, and dumping grass clippings or trimmings on city property is prohibited.

Key details: Home composting: Allowed. Permit needed: No. Nuisance limit: No odor/vermin/blight. Dump on city property: Prohibited (Sec. 106-212). Yard waste: Keep on-lot or curbside pickup.

A composting operation that becomes an odor, pest, or blight nuisance can be cited under health/property-maintenance code; dumping yard waste on city property violates Sec. 106-212.

The Bottom Line

New Orleans's landscaping 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 New Orleans is broadly strict or permissive.

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