Kirkland, WA Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing list
- City's Prohibited Plant List
- Ban effective date
- February 14, 2008
- Enforcing department
- Planning and Building Department
- Removal duty
- Owner must clear invasives near protected trees
- Penalty fund
- City Forestry Account, KZC 95.57
Summary
Kirkland bans planting or retaining any species on the City's Prohibited Plant List. The rule has applied citywide since February 14, 2008, and property owners must clear invasive growth encroaching on protected trees.
Plants listed in the Kirkland Prohibited Plant List shall not be planted in the City or required to be retained. For landscaping not required under this chapter, this prohibition shall become effective on February 14, 2008. The City may require removal of prohibited vegetation if installed after this date. Residents and property owners are encouraged to remove pre-existing prohibited vegetation whenever practicable.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4945, passed July 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
" For landscaping that isn't required under Chapter 95 KZC, the ban has been in force since February 14, 2008, and the City can order removal of listed vegetation installed after that date; owners of pre-existing prohibited plants are only encouraged, not compelled, to remove them. 51(5) falls on every property owner: nonnative invasive and noxious plants growing near any tree or vegetation the City required to be planted or preserved must be removed, following the City's Prohibited Plant List along with King County and Washington state weed agency listings.
Removal work cannot damage the protected tree or vegetation itself, and the code allows the City to require best management practices such as stump treatment to stop regrowth. Chapter 95 ties this rule into its broader Planning and Building Department review process for tree retention plans, landscape plans, and five-year maintenance agreements recorded with the King County Recorder's office, so a prohibited-species violation can surface during permit review, final inspection, or routine code enforcement. 100, the code's special enforcement provisions for Chapter 95 tree regulations. 57, which pays for canopy restoration, a public tree nursery, and urban forestry education citywide.
Violations & Fines
The Planning and Building Department enforces KZC 95.52 through the Chapter 95 process at KMC 1.12.100, which sets civil fines for unlawful tree-related violations and lets the City require restoration. The City can order removal of prohibited plants installed after February 14, 2008, and may reduce or waive fines case by case if a property owner submits a written request detailing the circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep prohibited plants that were already in my yard before 2008?
Does Kirkland require me to remove invasive plants growing near my trees?
Who enforces Kirkland's prohibited plant rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkland
Compare Kirkland to another location·View the Washington invasive plant rules overview
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Prohibited Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle prohibited species.