9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Shelby County, Tennessee.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Shelby County the county code treats rank weeds and grasses over 12 inches tall as harmful vegetation. Owners must cut within ten days of a Health Department notice or face a fine up to $50 per day.
Code of Shelby County, Sec. 16-111(a)
For the purpose of this division, harmful vegetation shall mean high grasses, vines and noxious growth of any kind, including trees and shrubbery that overhang and create a harborage for rodents, rats and a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Rank weeds and grasses over 12 inches in height shall be presumed to provide such harborage.
The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code requires pruning of required landscape trees to follow ANSI A300 standards and prohibits topping, lollipopping, or meatballing that harms a tree's natural form on development sites.
Memphis & Shelby County UDC Sub-Section 4.6.4F(2)(b)
Necessary pruning and trimming must be in accordance with the American National Standards for Tree Care Operations... and may not be interpreted to include topping of trees through removal of crown material or the central leader, or any other similarly severe procedures such as lollipopping or meatballing that cause irreparable harm to the natural form of the tree.
The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code regulates clearing of trees in unincorporated Shelby County, generally requiring a tree survey and tree removal permit for development, with exemptions for small residential lots and limited cutting.
Memphis & Shelby County UDC Sub-Section 6.1.2A
The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to all tree removal in the unincorporated areas of Shelby County and the City of Memphis, except in the following cases, which do not require a notice of intent, a tree survey, or a tree permit: 1. Where the tree removal is on a residential lot... ten acres or less.
The Code of Shelby County authorizes the county to compel owners of unincorporated property to cut rank weeds, grasses, and underbrush deemed a health or traffic hazard, enforced by the Health Department through notice, county cutting, liens, and fines.
Code of Shelby County, Sec. 16-111(b)
The board of county commissioners is authorized to compel the owner of any property in the county lying outside the boundaries of an incorporated municipality to cut or destroy rank weeds, grasses or other underbrush.
Shelby County has no mandatory outdoor watering schedule. Water is supplied by Memphis Light, Gas and Water from the Memphis Sand Aquifer, and MLGW promotes voluntary conservation rather than odd-even or day-of-week watering limits.
Shelby County has no ordinance prohibiting or specially licensing residential rainwater harvesting. Rain barrels and cisterns are generally allowed, and Tennessee encourages capturing rainwater, though plumbing cross-connections to potable systems remain regulated.
The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code favors native landscaping, directing that trees and shrubs be predominately hardy Tennessee native species and providing an approved native-plant list for naturalized screens and buffers.
Memphis & Shelby County UDC Sub-Section 4.6.4
The species may be expanded but are intended to provide guidance in selecting predominately hardy Tennessee native species.
Shelby County has no ordinance banning or specially permitting artificial turf. Synthetic turf is not counted as living landscaping under the Unified Development Code, so required landscape and buffer areas must use real plant material.
Backyard composting is allowed in Shelby County and has no dedicated permit, but compost and organic material must be managed so it does not become harmful vegetation, attract rodents, or run off the property under county code.
1 cities in Shelby County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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