Akron, OH Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Subdivision Regulations, Akron City Code Ch. 151
- Applies to
- New allotments' street trees, not private yards
- Banned species
- Silver maple, boxelder, tree of heaven, poplar, willow
- Unlisted species
- Allowed only under exceptional conditions
- Penalty
- Up to $100 per day, minor misdemeanor
Summary
Akron won't let a subdivider plant certain trees as street trees in a new allotment. City Code § 151.18(E) bans silver maple, ash-leaved maple, tree of heaven, poplar, and willow within or adjacent to public streets, and treats anything else not on the approved list as unsuitable absent exceptional conditions.
E.1.The use of the following trees within or adjacent to public streets is prohibited: Scientific Name Common Name acer dasycarpum silver maple acer negundo ash leaved maple ailanthus glandulosa tree of heaven populus poplar salix willow 2.Others not listed under subsection D of this section are not considered suitable varieties and may only be permitted under exceptional conditions.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
The ban lives in Akron's Subdivision Regulations, Chapter 151, which governs how a developer lays out a new allotment rather than what a homeowner can plant in a private yard. 18(D) first gives allotters a list of 'suggested varieties' for street trees, including Norway maple, sugar maple, sycamore maple, buckeye, hornbeam, hackberry, ginkgo, and European linden. 18(E)(1) then flips to a prohibition: 'The use of the following trees within or adjacent to public streets is prohibited,' naming acer dasycarpum (silver maple), acer negundo (ash-leaved maple), ailanthus glandulosa (tree of heaven), populus (poplar), and salix (willow).
All five share the practical defects the city is guarding against: silver maple, poplar, and willow have weak, brittle wood and aggressive, pavement-lifting roots, ash-leaved maple (boxelder) self-seeds prolifically, and tree of heaven is the invasive species now closely tied to the spotted lanternfly. Subsection (E)(2) closes the loophole for everything else: any species 'not listed under subsection D of this section' is 'not considered suitable varieties and may only be permitted under exceptional conditions,' so a developer cannot simply pick something new that isn't already vetted. 18(B)-(C).
Violations & Fines
Chapter 151 violations, including planting a banned street tree species, are minor misdemeanors under § 151.99, fined up to $100 per occurrence, with each day the prohibited condition continues counting as a separate offense. The city can also refuse to release the tree-planting bond required by § 151.18(B)-(C) until noncompliant trees are removed and replaced with an approved variety, on top of any fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Akron ban tree of heaven everywhere in the city?
Can a developer plant any tree species along a new street?
What happens if a banned species gets planted anyway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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