Lancaster, CA Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)

Section 8.50.020's definition ties "Invasive plant species" to plants "not historically found in California that spread outside cultivated areas and can damage environmental or economic resources," noting they "may be regulated by County agricultural agencies as noxious species," and pointing to the California Invasive Plant Council and USDA databases as reference lists. That definition feeds directly into Section 8.50.090(A)(1)(k), the landscape design plan requirement for any new or rehabilitated landscape covered by Chapter 8.50: "The use of invasive plant species, such as those listed by the California Invasive Plant Council, is strongly discouraged. Invasive species of plants shall be avoided especially near parks, buffers, greenbelts, water bodies, and open spaces because of their potential to cause harm in sensitive areas."

The rule applies at the permitting stage, not as a retroactive ban on existing yards: Chapter 8.50 governs new development landscapes of 500 square feet or more and rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more that require a building or landscape permit, plan check or design review, per Section 8.50.030. A licensed landscape architect or contractor must sign the design plan attesting compliance with the chapter's criteria, and the city reviews and approves the landscape documentation package before a permit issues, under Sections 8.50.040 and 8.50.060.