Roanoke, VA Invasive Plant Rules: Front Yard Gardens (2026)

Chapter 33's weed and trash abatement article defines 'weed' broadly to include any plant, grass, or vegetation over ten inches tall, and lists specific invasive or noxious species by name, including Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven), poison ivy, poison oak, ragweed, milkweed, and Canada thistle. Within that same definition, Sec. 33-17(h) explicitly excludes 'vegetable and flower gardens purposefully planted and maintained by the property owner or occupant free of weed hazard or nuisance,' alongside trees, ornamental shrubbery, cultivated crops, and undisturbed woodland. That means a resident growing a front yard vegetable or flower garden is not automatically in violation of the weed ordinance the way overgrown lawn or brush would be, provided the garden is actually tended and does not itself become overgrown with the named invasive species or unmaintained growth that creates a hazard or nuisance.

If an inspector finds the garden has been abandoned or is harboring listed invasive plants like poison ivy or Tree of Heaven at nuisance height, the Sec. 33-18 through 33-20 abatement process, including the seven-day notice and city-abatement billing, still applies because the exemption only protects gardens that remain purposefully maintained.