Corvallis, OR Invasive Plant Rules: Bamboo Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited in park strip
- bamboo, poplar, willow, conifer, cottonwood
- Also barred
- fruit and nut trees, ailanthus
- Citywide restriction
- willow, cottonwood, poplar need site approval
- List maintained by
- City Manager with CBUF advice
- Maximum fine
- $500 per plant
Summary
The City of Corvallis bans planting bamboo, along with poplar, willow, conifer, cottonwood, fruit and nut trees, and ailanthus, in any street right-of-way or park strip under Municipal Code Section 2.19.100. The City Manager keeps an updated prohibited-species list because of these plants' invasive growth, fruit drop, or tendency to block sight distance.
Certain trees, due to their growth habits, invasive nature, fruit drop or tendency to block sight distance, cannot be planted in the park strip. The City Manager, with advice from CBUF, maintains an up-to-date list of the prohibited trees, which include but are not limited to the following trees: bamboo, poplar, willow, conifer, cottonwood, fruit and nut trees and ailanthus in or on any street rights-of-way or park strip in the City.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 2.19 of the Corvallis Municipal Code, adopted to build a healthy, sustainable urban forest under Section 2.19.010, bars specific species from the park strip, the strip of land between the curb and sidewalk defined in Section 2.19.020, and from other street rights-of-way. Section 2.19.100 names bamboo among the prohibited plants, alongside poplar, willow, conifer, cottonwood, fruit and nut trees, and ailanthus, because of their invasive growth habits, fruit drop, or tendency to obstruct sight distance, and the City Manager keeps an up-to-date prohibited list with advice from the Citizens Advisory Commission on Civic Beautification and Urban Forestry.
Three of those species, willow, cottonwood, and poplar, carry an additional citywide restriction under Section 2.19.110: it is unlawful to plant any of them anywhere in Corvallis, not just the park strip, unless the City Manager first approves the site as one where the roots will not interfere with a public sewer. Any planting that is allowed still needs a City Manager permit under Section 2.19.060 if it can grow 24 inches or taller. Because bamboo already sits on the prohibited list, no permit application for it can be approved for park strip or right-of-way planting, and an owner who plants it there anyway is subject to enforcement and removal under the Chapter's nuisance and penalty provisions.
Violations & Fines
Planting bamboo, poplar, willow, conifer, cottonwood, a fruit or nut tree, or ailanthus in a Corvallis park strip or street right-of-way violates Section 2.19.100 and, like any violation of Chapter 2.19, is punishable under Section 2.19.180 by a fine of up to $500 per plant plus the appraised value of any resulting damage, and the City Manager can remove the prohibited planting under the Chapter's removal and nuisance provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant bamboo along my Corvallis street frontage?
Are willow and cottonwood trees banned everywhere in Corvallis?
What's the penalty for planting a prohibited tree in the right-of-way?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Corvallis
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