Landscaping Rules in Tucson, AZ (2026)
7 verified landscaping rules for Tucson, Arizona, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Tucson City Code Sec. 25-53 makes it the duty of every property owner, occupant, or agent to keep trees, shrubs, and other vegetation trimmed so nothing on the lot or the adjoining right-of-way overhangs a sidewalk or roadway or blocks pedestrian, vehicular, or traffic-signal sightlines.
Tucson: Trim Trees Overhanging Streets, Sidewalks
Some RestrictionsTucson City Code Sec. 25-53
The owner, occupant, or agent in charge of any lot, piece or parcel of land within the corporate limits of the city shall not allow any tree, shrub, or other form of vegetation of any kind upon such property or upon the right-of-way, street, or alley adjoining the same to extend over or under the sidewalk space or roadway in such street or alley in such a manner as to interfere with the reasona...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Tucson's UDC forces on-site replacement, not just a fine, when a protected native plant is removed. Every viable protected plant harmed by development must be replaced with the same genus and species per the ratios in Table 7.7.5-1.
Tucson Native Plant Replacement Mitigation
Some RestrictionsTucson UDC § 7.7.5.A.1.d
Viable Protected Native Plants harmed by on-site salvage and transplant, off-site removal, or damage or destruction during development must be mitigated by replacement with a plant or plants of the same genus and species in conformance with Table 7.7.5-1. ... Each Viable Protected Native Plant that is removed from the site, damaged, or destroyed during development must be replaced on-site with ...
Weed Ordinances
Tucson Code § 16-13(a) makes it unlawful to let lawn grass or weeds exceed six inches anywhere on a property, along with dead trees, dead shrubs, and dead palm fronds within ten feet of a structure. Code officials treat overgrown vegetation as a fire, safety, or vermin hazard and enforce it through a notice-of-violation process backed by daily civil penalties.
Tucson Caps Weeds and Grass at Six Inches
Some RestrictionsTucson Code § 16-13(a)(1)-(2)
Each owner, lessee, tenant, resident or occupant shall maintain a property so it is free of the accumulation or untended growth of vegetation. The accumulation or untended growth of vegetation means the presence of plants on property that create a fire, safety or health hazard, or that attract vermin either on the property, on neighboring properties, or on both, and includes but is not limited ...
Water Restrictions
When Tucson's mayor and council (or the water director's recommendation) declares a water emergency, Sec. 27-95 bans nearly all outdoor irrigation citywide except with reclaimed water, unless the city manager substitutes a designated watering-day schedule. Violators face disconnection and civil penalties.
Tucson Outdoor Watering Curbed in Water Emergency
Significant RestrictionsTucson Code § 27-95(1)
Upon declaration of a water emergency and notification to the public, the following mandatory restrictions upon nonessential uses shall be enforced: (1) All outdoor irrigation, except for those areas irrigated with reclaimed water, is prohibited. If the city manager deems it appropriate, a schedule designating certain outdoor watering days may be implemented in place of the irrigation ban.
Rainwater Harvesting
Since June 1, 2010, Tucson requires all new commercial development to submit a rainwater harvesting plan and, within three years of occupancy, meet 50% of its yearly landscape water budget from on-site harvested rainwater, per City Code §§ 6-181–6-188.
Tucson Commercial Rainwater Harvesting Requirements
Significant RestrictionsTucson City Code §§ 6-182, 6-183, 6-187
All commercial development and site plans submitted after June 1, 2010, shall include a rainwater harvesting plan. ... No later than three (3) years from the date of issuance of a final certificate of occupancy, and for every year thereafter, fifty (50) percent of the estimated yearly landscape water budget shall be provided by rainwater harvested on-site by a rainwater harvesting system constr...
Native Plants
Tucson requires nearly all new development to prepare a Native Plant Preservation Plan under UDC Section 7.7 before any grubbing, grading, or construction, protecting Sonoran Desert species like the Saguaro cactus through preservation, salvage, or replacement standards enforced by PDSD.
Tucson Native Plant Preservation Requirements
Significant RestrictionsTucson UDC § 7.7.4.B
No grubbing, grading, construction, or salvaging of any plants on the site may take place prior to the submittal and approval of the required Native Plant Preservation Plan. Protected Native Plants designated in the Technical Standards Manual may not be destroyed, damaged, salvaged, transplanted, or removed from the site except in accordance with the approved Plan. Once a Native Plant Preservat...
Composting
Tucson Code § 16-13(c) lets residents keep a compost pile despite the citywide ban on accumulated vegetation and debris, but only if it's contained, doesn't produce odors or attract flies and vermin, stays out of view from neighbors and the street where reasonably possible, and follows any rules the code official adopts.
Tucson Compost Pile Standards
Light RestrictionsTucson Code § 16-13(c)
Composting permitted on residential property; standards and procedures; violation. The provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section do not prohibit the maintenance of a compost pile on residential property, so long as the compost pile does not create a hazard and is: (1) Contained; (2) Maintained so as not to produce offensive odors or attract flies or vermin; (3) Located, insofar as r...
Looking for Pima County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Tucson city rules.
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