Landscaping Rules in Upland, CA (2026)
7 verified landscaping rules for Upland, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Upland bars residents and private contractors from pruning or removing any street tree. Municipal Code § 12.26.070 assigns all routine tree care and maintenance exclusively to the public works director and the city's designated street tree contractor, with no private pruning permits issued.
Upland Street Tree Pruning Restrictions
Some RestrictionsUpland Municipal Code § 12.26.070
Routine tree care and maintenance is assigned to the public works director. All street trees shall be cared for and maintained by the city's designated street tree care and maintenance contractor. No permits will be issued to any person or entity for pruning or removal of public trees, and all pruning and removal of public trees shall be undertaken by city staff or the contractor hired by the c...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
No one may remove a tree from an Upland parkway or parking strip without a permit from the city manager, who holds final authority over every removal under Municipal Code § 12.24.100. Euclid Avenue trees follow a separate city council policy, and the city itself can remove any tree it decides poses a danger or hazard.
Upland Parkway Tree Removal Permit
Significant RestrictionsUpland Municipal Code § 12.24.100
Final authority for the removal of all trees rests with the city manager. No trees shall be removed from the parkways or parking strips, except on Euclid Avenue, without a required permit to be issued by the city manager. Removal of trees on Euclid Avenue shall be subject to the policy of the city council established by Resolution No. 1452 now in effect or as may be amended. The city may remove...
Weed Ordinances
Upland Municipal Code Section 8.12.020(D) doesn't set a numeric height limit, but it bans weeds as landscaping, caps bare-dirt front and side yard area at 25 percent, and separately declares foxtails, tumbleweeds and other wild grasses a public nuisance wherever they grow in the city, including sidewalks and vacant lots.
Upland Declares Weeds and Wild Grasses a Nuisance
Some RestrictionsUpland Municipal Code § 8.12.020(D)(5)-(6)
5. Weeds as landscaping or areas consisting only of dirt when that dirt area is more than 25 percent of any portion or area of a front or side yard viewable from the public right-of-way; 6. Weeds and wild grasses, ordinarily known as foxtails, tumbleweeds, devil thorn, hoarhound, gourd, vines, and other wild grasses and weeds in or upon any sidewalk, vacant lot or other property within the city...
Water Restrictions
Upland Municipal Code § 13.16.030(A)(4) bars outdoor sprinkler irrigation between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. year-round citywide. Hand-held hoses, drip irrigation, hand-held buckets, and water-recycling cleaning machines are allowed anytime, but no irrigation runoff may enter adjacent property, streets, alleys, or storm drains. Escalating shortage stages under §§ 13.16.040-13.16.060 add odd/even watering-day schedules if the city council declares a supply shortfall.
Upland Irrigation Watering Hour Rules
Some RestrictionsUpland Municipal Code § 13.16.030(A)(4)
4. Outdoor irrigation of landscape by sprinklers during the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Citizens are encouraged to avoid the use of sprinklers on windy days. Irrigation by handheld hose, drip irrigation, handheld bucket, or similar container or by use of a cleaning machine equipped to recycle any water used are permitted anytime. In no event shall any water so used be permitted to run off ...
Rainwater Harvesting
Upland's zoning ordinance requires qualifying parking lot developments to manage rainwater on-site, encouraging permeable paving, bio-retention areas, and rooftop rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation. Section 17.11.100(I)(8) treats harvesting as one of four required infiltration and reuse strategies, reviewed by the Development Services Director alongside the project's landscaping and parking plans under Title 17 of the Municipal Code.
Rainwater Harvesting in Upland Parking Lots
Some RestrictionsUpland Municipal Code § 17.11.100(I)(8)
Rainwater Management. Rainwater shall be managed on-site with designs that encourage infiltration, evapotranspiration, and water re-use by: a. Utilizing permeable paving for parking spaces, drive aisles, overflow parking, and other hard surfaces in the parking lot; b. Planting trees, shrubs, and other permeable landscaping throughout the parking lot to provide shade and places for water infiltr...
Native Plants
Upland's landscape ordinance encourages native species and cuts back turf rather than banning either. Design plans for regulated projects must protect existing native plants and natural areas and hold turf to what the site's water budget allows.
Upland Native Plant Landscaping Rules
Light RestrictionsUpland Municipal Code § 17.12.050
In addition to the design standards contained in Section 17.12.060, the following criteria should be incorporated into the landscape design: 1. Protection and preservation of existing native species and natural areas shall be encouraged; 2. The planting of lower water using trees, shrubs, and groundcover is encouraged; 3. The use of turf shall be minimized; turf areas shall be used wisely in re...
Composting
Upland does not ban or license backyard composting. Municipal Code § 13.28.220 lets residential householders compost organic waste generated on their own property without going through the city's authorized trash hauler, and §§ 13.28.550 and 13.28.560 name backyard and community composting as valid ways to meet the city's mandatory organic-waste diversion rules.
Backyard Composting Rules in Upland, CA
Few RestrictionsUpland Municipal Code § 13.28.220
No provision of this chapter shall prevent residential householders from collecting and disposing of occasional loads of solid waste generated in or on their residential premises, or from composting organic waste, or from selling or disposing of recyclables generated in or on their residential premises. Each residential householder, however, shall subscribe to services provided by an authorized...
Looking for San Bernardino County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Upland city rules.
Landscaping Rules in San Bernardino County →