Allentown, PA Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 660-71.C(5)(b), Zoning Ordinance
- Rule
- Required plantings cannot be invasive species
- Applies to
- All chapter-required landscaping, incl. street trees
- Sizing standard
- Table 660-8 minimum plant sizes
- CO tie-in
- Landscaping must install before occupancy certificate
Summary
Any landscaping the City's zoning code requires, from street trees to buffer plantings, must skip invasive or potentially invasive species entirely under § 660-71's installation standards, which also set minimum plant sizes and require nationally accepted nursery practices.
Condition and selection of planting materials. The plant materials used must be free from visible signs of disease, infestation, or physical defect at the time of planting. Plant materials must be appropriate for the conditions of the location, including sun and wind exposure, air quality, salt exposure, soil type, expected moisture content of soil, and slope. Plant materials must not be an invasive or a potentially invasive species. Plant materials are encouraged to be native or naturalized.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4995055; v49 updated 2026-06-26; through 06-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 660-71 of the Zoning Ordinance (Ord. No. 16166, effective January 1, 2026) sets installation standards for every landscape planting the chapter requires, whether a street tree, a buffer, or foundation planting tied to a site plan. Subsection C(5) covers the condition and selection of plant materials: they must be free from visible signs of disease, infestation, or physical defect at the time of planting, must be appropriate for the conditions of the location, including sun and wind exposure, air quality, salt exposure, soil type, expected moisture content of soil, and slope, and, critically, must not be an invasive or a potentially invasive species. The section separately encourages, but does not require, native or naturalized plantings.
The invasive-species bar applies alongside sizing and installation standards. Table 660-8 sets minimum plant sizes at installation, such as a two-inch caliper for street trees and a 24-inch height for shrubs, and all material must be installed to the American Standard for Nursery Stock (ANSI Z60.1) published by AmericanHort. Every tree also needs at least 24 square feet of permeable surface area unless the Zoning Officer, or the Shade Tree Commission for right-of-way trees, finds a smaller area is not practicable. Because § 660-71 governs installation, compliance is checked before a certificate of occupancy issues; landscape material must be fully installed first, or the applicant must post a bond, letter of credit, or obtain a temporary certificate of occupancy pending completion.
Violations & Fines
Installing an invasive or potentially invasive species as part of required landscaping violates § 660-71.C(5)(b) and can block issuance of a certificate of occupancy until the material is corrected. The City can also require replacement under the maintenance standards of § 660-72 and, for continued noncompliance, pursue civil enforcement under § 660-123: a judgment of up to $500 plus court costs and attorney fees, per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use an invasive plant species in landscaping the City requires?
Does Allentown require native plants specifically?
What happens if required landscaping isn't installed before I move in?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Allentown
Compare Allentown to another location·View the Pennsylvania invasive plant rules overview
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