Louisville, KY Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing provision
- LDC Ch. 10 Part 4, § 10.4.1(A)
- Enforced by
- Planning Commission / Design Services staff
- Applies to
- New landscaping for development approval only
- List maintained by
- Division of Urban Forestry Master Tree List
Summary
Louisville Metro's Land Development Code bars any plant material used to meet landscaping requirements from being on the current Louisville and Jefferson County Prohibited Plant List, a standard the Planning Commission enforces on every reviewed site plan.
Any proposed new plant material used to satisfy the requirements of this development code shall be of a species other than those listed in the current version of the Louisville and Jefferson County Prohibited Plant List adopted by the Planning Commission. To the greatest extent possible, new plant material should be selected from species included in the current version of the Louisville and Jefferson County Preferred Plant List adopted by the Planning Commission. This list consists of species that are either native to Jefferson County or that perform particularly well in the area, or both. For areas where bio-retention or constructed wetlands are proposed, plants must be chosen from
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-47: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinances passed by the Council and approved by the Mayor as of July 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under LDC § 10.4.1(A), any new plant material a developer uses to satisfy Louisville Metro's landscaping, buffer, or tree-canopy requirements must be a species other than those on the current Louisville and Jefferson County Prohibited Plant List adopted by the Planning Commission. The list itself is maintained through the Division of Urban Forestry's Master Tree List. Reviewers check landscape plans against it before approving a site disturbance, subdivision, or building permit; a plan specifying a listed invasive won't be accepted. The rule governs required development landscaping only: it doesn't reach existing residential yards or agricultural land outside a development review.
Violations & Fines
Landscape plans listing a prohibited species are rejected at plan review; developers must substitute an approved species before the Planning Commission or Design Services staff will sign off on a site disturbance, subdivision, or building permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant an invasive species in my own yard in Louisville?
Where is Louisville's prohibited plant list published?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Louisville
Compare Louisville to another location·View the Kentucky invasive plant rules overview
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