Mesa, AZ Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing Table
- Table 9-6-6.D.5
- Applies To
- Desert Uplands Area subdivisions
- Prohibited Species
- Citrus, oleander, olive, palms, pines, tamarisk
- Required Source
- Preferred/Acceptable plant lists only
- Enforcement
- Civil code offense, Hearing Officer
Summary
Inside Mesa's Desert Uplands Area, required landscaping must be selected from the Preferred and Acceptable plant lists in Table 9-6-6.D.5 of the City Code, and a companion Prohibited Plant List bars species including citrus, oleander, olive trees, all palms, all pines, junipers, and salt cedar (tamarisk) from being used to meet that requirement.
Table 9-6-6.D.5 Desert Uplands Plant List ... PROHIBITED PLANT LIST Cedrus Cedar Chamaecyparis False Cypress Citrus Citrus Cupressus Cypress Encelia Farinosa Brittlebush Encelia Frutescens Green Brittlebush Juniperus Juniper Nerium Oleander Oleanders Olea Europaea Olive Trees Palmae All Palms Pennisetum Setaceum Fountain Grass Pinus All Pines Tamarisk Salt Cedar Thevetia Species Thevetia
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
5, the Desert Uplands Plant List, which governs landscaping in subdivisions inside the City's Desert Uplands Area. 5," and Section 9-6-6(I)(3) requires at least 50% of the plant material used for common area, parkway, and median landscaping to come from that Preferred list, with the remainder from the Acceptable list. 5 itself is organized into a Preferred list of Sonoran Desert native trees, shrubs, cacti, and wildflowers; an Acceptable list of drought-tolerant, non-native plants; and a separate Prohibited Plant List that developers and homeowners' associations may not draw from to satisfy the Table's landscaping requirements.
The Prohibited Plant List names Cedrus (Cedar), Chamaecyparis (False Cypress), Citrus, Cupressus (Cypress), Encelia Farinosa (Brittlebush), Encelia Frutescens (Green Brittlebush), Juniperus (Juniper), Nerium Oleander (Oleanders), Olea Europaea (Olive Trees), Palmae (all palms), Pennisetum Setaceum (Fountain Grass), Pinus (all pines), Tamarisk (Salt Cedar), and Thevetia species. Separately, Section 9-6-6(I)(9)(d) directs that regular inspections be conducted within the Desert Uplands Area and that any identified invasive plant species be promptly removed to prevent their spread and protect the health of native vegetation, tying the Prohibited Plant List to an ongoing maintenance duty rather than a one-time planting choice.
Violations & Fines
Developing land "contrary to or in violation of any provision of this Chapter," which includes the Table 9-6-6.D.5 planting requirements, is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Section 9-6-8(A)(2). Lesser violations of the Chapter are treated as civil code offenses under Section 9-6-8(B), heard by a Hearing Officer, and a person cited can appeal within 10 days by writing to the Development Services Director.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant an olive tree or oleander in a new Mesa Desert Uplands subdivision?
What share of Desert Uplands landscaping must come from the Preferred plant list?
Does Mesa require removal of invasive plants that show up later?
What happens if a developer plants a prohibited species anyway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mesa
Compare Mesa to another location·View the Arizona invasive plant rules overview
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Prohibited Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle prohibited species.