4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Harris County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Neither Harris County nor the City of Houston has a specific ordinance banning or restricting bamboo. Texas does not have a statewide bamboo ban. Property owners are responsible for preventing bamboo from encroaching on neighboring properties under Texas nuisance law.
Texas Agriculture Code Sec. 71.151, 71.152, 71.153 (Noxious/Invasive Plants — State List; No Local Regulation)
Sec. 71.151. LIST REQUIRED. (a) The department by rule shall publish a list of noxious and invasive plant species that have serious potential to cause economic or ecological harm to the state. The department may publish lists of noxious and invasive plant species organized by region. ... Sec. 71.152. NOXIOUS OR INVASIVE PLANT SALE, DISTRIBUTION, OR IMPORTATION PROHIBITED. (a) A person commits a...
Texas maintains a noxious weed list under the Texas Agriculture Code, and the Texas Invasive Species Institute tracks problematic plants. Harris County does not have its own prohibited plant list, but state-level restrictions on noxious weeds apply. Giant salvinia, water hyacinth, and Chinese tallow are among key invasive species in the region.
Texas Agriculture Code Sec. 71.151 (Noxious and Invasive Plants)
Sec. 71.151. LIST REQUIRED. (a) The department by rule shall publish a list of noxious and invasive plant species that have serious potential to cause economic or ecological harm to the state. The department may publish lists of noxious and invasive plant species organized by region.
Harris County and the City of Houston do not prohibit front yard vegetable gardens. Texas HB 699 (2023) prohibits cities and counties from banning food gardens on residential property. Unincorporated Harris County has no landscaping ordinance restricting food production in residential yards.
Tex. Property Code Sec. 202.007 (Certain Restrictive Covenants Prohibited - Rainwater, Drought-Resistant Landscaping)
Sec. 202.007. CERTAIN RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS PROHIBITED. (a) A property owners' association may not include or enforce a provision in a dedicatory instrument that prohibits or restricts a property owner from:(1) implementing measures promoting solid-waste composting of vegetation, including grass clippings, leaves, or brush, or leaving grass clippings uncollected on grass;(2) installing rai...
Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is not on the Texas Department of Agriculture noxious or invasive plant list. Harris County does not prohibit it, but Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and Texas Invasives.org urge removal because it hosts the spotted lanternfly threatening Texas vineyards and pecan groves.
1 cities in Harris County have their own invasive plant rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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