Detroit, MI Invasive Plant Rules: Front Yard Gardens (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Detroit City Code § 50-12-397
- Use type
- By-right in every residential district
- Banned plants
- Tree species and Forestry-designated invasive plants
- Setback rule
- Crop areas 5 feet from property lines
- Enforcing agency
- General Services Dept. Forestry Division
Summary
Detroit allows urban gardens by right in every residential district, but the city's Forestry Division bans planting any tree species or other plant it deems injurious or invasive, plus oats, wheat, and rye to control rodents.
The following farm products shall be prohibited from being produced on an urban garden or urban farm:
(1)Farm animals, as described in Chapter 6 of this Code, Animal Care, Control, and Regulation;(2)Prohibited tree species under Section 50-14-324 of this Code and any other plants deemed injurious or invasive by the General Services Department Forestry Division;(3)Oats, wheat, and rye, in order to prevent rodents, except when used as a winter cover crop and not grown to full maturity. (Code 1984, § 61-12-326; Ord. No. 10-13, § 1(61-12-326), eff. 4-16-2013)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Detroit City Code § 50-12-397 prohibits growing farm animals, oats, wheat, and rye (except as an unharvested winter cover crop), and any tree species barred under § 50-14-324 or other plant the General Services Department Forestry Division deems injurious or invasive, on any urban garden or urban farm: the zoning use that covers food and non-food crop plots up to one acre, including front-yard plantings. Urban gardens are a by-right use in every residential district under the Article XII, Division 3, Subdivision H use table, but crop areas must still sit at least five feet back from all property lines per § 50-12-400.
Violations & Fines
Planting a prohibited tree species or a plant the Forestry Division flags as injurious or invasive on an urban garden violates § 50-12-397; enforcement runs through the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department's zoning code process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant anything I want in a Detroit front-yard garden?
Do I need a permit to grow vegetables in my front yard in Detroit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Detroit
Compare Detroit to another location·View the Michigan invasive plant rules overview
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Front Yard Gardens in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle front yard gardens.