Middletown, OH Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Named species
- Thistle, wild lettuce, wild mustard, wild parsley, ragweed, milkweed, ironweed
- Legal status
- Declared a public nuisance citywide
- Duty
- Owner must cut/spray and remove debris
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor 4th degree, $150 minimum fine
- Escape route
- § 678.06 natural landscaping certificate
- Exemption
- Undeveloped lots of 5+ acres
Summary
Middletown's code names eight weed species, Russian, Canadian and common thistle, wild lettuce, wild mustard, wild parsley, ragweed, milkweed, and ironweed, as declared public nuisances on every lot in the city. Property owners must cut or spray them out and haul away the debris, or answer to the same fourth-degree misdemeanor and $150 minimum fine that governs Middletown's general weed law.
§ 678.02 WEED CONTROL. (a) Except as specifically permitted in § 678.06 of this chapter, Russian, Canadian, or common thistle, wild lettuce, wild mustard, wild parsley, ragweed, milkweed, iron weed, and all other noxious weeds growing or being upon any lot or lands within the City are hereby declared a public nuisance. Every owner, occupant, or person in control of any lots or lands within the City shall cause the lot or lands to be kept free from such noxious weeds by cutting them or by destroying them by spraying with a chemical compound approved by the Commissioner of Health, and then removing said cut or destroyed noxious weeds from such lot or lands forthwith.
Full Breakdown
02(a) of the Middletown Code of Ordinances singles out Russian, Canadian, or common thistle, wild lettuce, wild mustard, wild parsley, ragweed, milkweed, and ironweed by name, then sweeps in all other noxious weeds growing on any lot or land in the city, declaring the whole category a public nuisance. The duty falls on every owner, occupant, or person in control of the property: cut the plants, or destroy them by spraying with a chemical compound the Commissioner of Health has approved, and then remove the cut or dead material from the lot right away.
01(b) backs the species list with an objective test, anything exceeding six inches in height, so enforcement does not depend on identifying a plant by name alone. 05, except for a 20-foot buffer next to any residence, business, or public right-of-way. 04.
Violations & Fines
Growing or allowing any of the named noxious weeds, thistle, wild lettuce, wild mustard, wild parsley, ragweed, milkweed, or ironweed, to stand uncut is enforced the same way as Middletown's general weed law: a misdemeanor of the fourth degree under § 678.99(a) with a minimum $150.00 fine, plus a separate offense for each day the violation continues and a lien for city abatement costs if the owner does not comply after notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ragweed illegal to grow in Middletown?
Can I keep milkweed for monarch butterflies?
Who decides if my land is exempt from the noxious weed list?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Middletown
Compare Middletown to another location·View the Ohio invasive plant rules overview
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