Landscaping Rules in Mountain View, CA (2026)

Mountain View, CA, City Code Sec. 32.6

No person shall cut, trim, prune, plant, spray, remove, injure* or interfere with any street tree or shrub without the prior written permission of the director of parks and recreation. The director of parks and recreation may grant such permission in his discretion and, where necessary, condition such permit upon the requirement that the removed tree or shrub will be replaced by an approved tre...

Mountain View, CA, City Code Sec. 32.27(a)

a.Permit required. No person shall cut down, destroy, remove or relocate any heritage tree growing on public or private property, or on any city-owned property, unless a valid heritage tree removal permit has been granted by the city pursuant to this article. Construction of improvements within the drip line of a heritage tree shall also require a permit issued pursuant to this article.

Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 5004

5004.   “Noxious weed” means any species of plant that is, or is liable to be, troublesome, aggressive, intrusive, detrimental, or destructive to agriculture, silviculture, or important native species, and difficult to control or eradicate, which the director, by regulation, designates to be a noxious weed. In determining whether or not a species shall be designated a noxious weed for the purpo...

Cal. Code Regs. tit. 23, § 490 et seq. (Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance)

About 40% of the water Californians use at home is used outdoors. Large water savings can be gained by efficient landscape design, installation, management, and maintenance. This is accomplished by choosing climate adapted plants, improving soil conditions, using, and maintaining high efficiency irrigation equipment and managing the irrigation schedule to fit the plants water needs as they are ...

California AB 1750 - Water Code Sections 10573-10574 (Rainwater Capture Act of 2012)

10573. Solely for the purposes of this part, and unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions govern the construction of this part: (a) "Developed or developing lands" means lands that have one or more of the characteristics described in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 56375.3 of the Government Code. (b) "Rain barrel system...

Cal. Code Regs. tit. 23, § 490 et seq. (Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance)

About 40% of the water Californians use at home is used outdoors. Large water savings can be gained by efficient landscape design, installation, management, and maintenance. This is accomplished by choosing climate adapted plants, improving soil conditions, using, and maintaining high efficiency irrigation equipment and managing the irrigation schedule to fit the plants water needs as they are ...

Cal. Civ. Code § 4735

4735.   (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a provision of the governing documents or architectural or landscaping guidelines or policies shall be void and unenforceable if it does any of the following: (1) Prohibits, or includes conditions that have the effect of prohibiting, the use of low water-using plants as a group or as a replacement of existing turf. (2) Prohibits, or includes conditions...

Mountain View, CA, City Code Sec. 16.101(h); Sec. 16.102(c)

"Community composting" means any activity that composts green material, agricultural material, food material and vegetative food material, alone or in combination, and the total amount of feedstock and compost on-site at any one time does not exceed one hundred (100) cubic yards and seven hundred fifty (750) square feet, as specified in 14 CCR Section 17855(a)(4)... Nothing in this section proh...