Charlotte, NC Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)

E, Tree Save Standards, governs required green area on development sites citywide. 1 states that tree save areas "shall be free of invasive plant species unless otherwise approved by the Chief Urban Forester," and if a proposed tree save area already contains invasive species, the developer must remove them before final plat approval for a subdivision, or before the final certificate of occupancy if there is no plat. The ordinance treats invasive plants as "removed" only if they are no longer living in or under the tree canopy, and it places an ongoing burden on the property owner to maintain that condition after construction, meaning invasive regrowth in a tree save area is a continuing compliance failure, not a one-time fix.

E incorporates that state list by reference rather than publishing Charlotte's own species roster. A makes the whole green area chapter, including the tree save standard, apply to development activity, including grading in anticipation of development, within the corporate limits of the City and Charlotte's extraterritorial jurisdiction. Enforcement runs through the same land development approval process as the rest of Article 20: the Chief Urban Forester administers approvals, exceptions, and the maintenance condition, and can approve alternatives to a tree save area's tree canopy alterations under the Charlotte Tree Manual.