Columbus, OH Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Columbus City Codes Ch. 912
- List maintained by
- Recreation and Parks Department
- Applies to
- public streets, parks, public places
- Override
- written approval from the Director
- Penalty
- 3rd-degree misdemeanor, § 912.99
Summary
Columbus's Recreation and Parks Department keeps an official list of prohibited tree species, including known invasive species, that cannot be planted along public streets, in parks, or on public places without the Director's written approval.
The department shall establish and maintain the following: (A) A list of tree species that are approved for planting along public streets, in parks, and public places. Other species may be permitted with written approval of the Director. (B) A list of prohibited tree species that shall not be planted along public streets, in parks, and public places unless written approval is granted by the Director.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Form Based Code: ?).
Full Breakdown
Columbus City Codes Chapter 912 (effective August 1, 2024) directs the Recreation and Parks Department to maintain both an approved planting list and a list of prohibited tree species for public streets, parks, and public places. Section 912.01 folds "known invasive species" and species on that prohibited list into the chapter's definition of a "Nuisance Tree," and planting a listed species on city-controlled land requires the Director's written sign-off. The chapter governs city-owned and city-controlled trees; it does not itself dictate what a homeowner may plant on private property, though a private tree can separately be declared a public nuisance under § 912.08.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 912, including planting a prohibited species without Director approval, is a third-degree misdemeanor under § 912.99, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant an invasive tree species in Columbus?
Does the prohibited species list restrict what I plant in my own yard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
Compare Columbus to another location·View the Ohio invasive plant rules overview
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