Somerville's Landscaping Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles landscaping rules a little differently. In Somerville, Massachusetts, there are 5 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.

Native Plants

Somerville's Native Planting Ordinance requires the city itself, not private property owners, to favor native species and drop invasive plants when it plants riparian areas, the community path, plazas, streetscapes and city parks. Existing trees and plants, and anything planted on private land, are unaffected.

Key details: Who it binds: City plantings only, not private landowners. Full-native areas: Riparian areas, community path, rail corridor. City parks minimum: 75% native plants each year. Street trees minimum: 50% native each year. Neonicotinoid sourcing ban: Effective January 1, 2028.

The ordinance regulates the city's own planting practices rather than private conduct, so it carries no fine schedule for residents; a resident planting non-native species on private property commits no violation under this article. Compliance runs through the annual public reporting requirement in section 12-180, which the director of public space and urban forestry, or a department that fails to report its plantings, must satisfy by December 1 of each year.

The rules around native plants in Somerville lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees

Removing a "significant tree" (8+ inch DBH, or an invasive species other than Tree of Heaven at 24+ inches) from private property in Somerville requires a free permit from the tree warden under Sec. 12-112, plus replacement plantings or a payment in lieu.

Key details: Governing section: Code of Ordinances Sec. 12-112. Permit fee: None. Review timeline: 30 business days. Owner-occupant reduction: 90% off replanting/payment. Fine for unpermitted removal: $300.00 per offense.

Violations of the tree preservation article, including unpermitted removal of a significant tree under Sec. 12-112, are enforced by the tree warden or a deputy tree warden through noncriminal disposition under M.G.L. c. 40, Sec. 21D. The citywide fine schedule sets Tree Preservation (Sec. 12-100 et seq.) violations at $300.00 per offense, with each continuing day of violation counted as a separate offense.

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

Tree Trimming

Pruning a public shade tree or city tree in Somerville requires a free permit from the tree warden under Sec. 12-105.2, and the actual cutting must be done by a certified arborist meeting the tree warden's specifications.

Key details: Governing section: Code of Ordinances Sec. 12-105.2. Permit fee: None. Review timeline: 30 business days. Who may prune: MAA- or ISA-certified arborist only. Fine for violation: $300.00 per offense.

Pruning or damaging a public shade tree or city tree without the required permit or without using a certified arborist is enforced by the tree warden or a deputy tree warden through noncriminal disposition under M.G.L. c. 40, Sec. 21D. The citywide penalty table sets Tree Preservation (Sec. 12-100 et seq.) fines at $300.00 per offense, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.

Artificial Turf

Somerville bans artificial turf and artificial plants from required landscaped areas. Zoning Ordinance §10.3.5.h.v prohibits both outright, with a narrow exception for civic-space athletic fields whose intensity of use and soil compaction prevent real turf grass from establishing, and for paving areas that grass paving cannot serve.

Key details: Artificial turf status: Prohibited in required landscaped areas. Exception 1: Civic-space athletic fields, soil compaction. Exception 2: Paving areas grass-paving cannot serve. Residential yards: No exception; live plantings required. Governing section: §10.3.5.h.v Site Landscaping Restrictions.

Installing artificial turf or artificial plants in a required landscaped area outside the two narrow exceptions violates §10.3.5.h.v. The Building Official can withhold a certificate of occupancy for new construction or a substantial renovation until the landscaping plan is corrected, and can require existing synthetic turf to be removed and replaced with a compliant, Green Score-eligible landscape element.

Compared to other cities, Somerville takes a harder line on artificial turf. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Rainwater Harvesting

Somerville's Green Score standard for new construction and major renovations awards a bonus credit toward the required landscape performance score when at least half of a site's irrigation comes from harvested rainwater. Table 10.4.2 lists '50% of irrigation is harvested rainwater' as a 0.1 multiplier bonus under §10.4.5.b.

Key details: Credit type: Optional Green Score bonus, not mandate. Threshold: 50% of irrigation from harvested rainwater. Bonus multiplier: 0.1, per Table 10.4.2. Applies to: New principal buildings, substantial renovations. Administered by: Building Official, §10.4.4.b.

There is no separate penalty for skipping the rainwater-harvesting bonus itself, since Table 10.4.2 credits are optional; the enforceable requirement is meeting the overall Green Score minimum for the building type under §10.4.4.a. A project that submits a landscape plan claiming the bonus without irrigating at least 50% from harvested rainwater risks the Building Official rejecting the calculation and withholding approval until the score is corrected without that credit.

The rules around rainwater harvesting in Somerville lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

The Bottom Line

Somerville'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 Somerville is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Somerville's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.