Perris, CA Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Perris Municipal Code § 19.70.040(c)(12)
- Species list source
- Western Riverside County MSHCP (by reference)
- Applies to
- New/rehab landscaping 2,500+ sq ft
- Plan reviewer
- Development Services Department
- Enforcement tools
- Warnings, notices, citations, fees (§19.70.050(c))
- Related duty
- Native species protection encouraged, §19.70.040(c)(11)
Summary
Perris's landscape ordinance requires new and rehabilitated landscaping to avoid invasive plant species, especially near parks, buffers, greenbelts, water bodies and open space, under Municipal Code § 19.70.040(c)(12). The rule leans on the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan's invasive species lists and is enforced through the city's landscape plan check process.
Invasive species are (e.g., plants or animals) that adversely affect the habitats they invade economically, environmentally, or ecologically. Lists of invasive species are included within the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) (incorporated by reference). ... 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 to environmentally sensitive areas.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13).
Full Breakdown
020 as plants or animals that adversely affect the habitats they invade economically, environmentally, or ecologically, and it incorporates by reference the lists maintained under the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) rather than writing its own species list into the code. 040(c)(12), directs that invasive species of plants shall be avoided, especially near parks, buffers, greenbelts, water bodies, and open spaces, because of their potential to cause harm to environmentally sensitive areas. 040(c), alongside the companion directive at (c)(11) that protection and preservation of native species and natural areas is encouraged, and the requirement at (c)(3) that plants be selected based on their adaptability to the climate, geologic and topographical conditions of the project site. 030(b). 040(a) and (h). 040(h)(5).
Violations & Fines
Chapter 19.70 does not carry its own fine schedule for a rejected planting plan; instead, § 19.70.050(c) authorizes the city or, within Eastern Municipal Water District territory, EMWD to issue warnings, correction notices, citations and fees for any violation of the chapter, including a planting plan that ignores the invasive-species avoidance standard. In practice the requirement is enforced up front, since development services will not approve a landscape plan or issue a certificate of completion under § 19.70.040(h) unless the licensed landscape architect's stamped plans and species selections comply with this section.
Frequently Asked Questions
What plants count as invasive under the Perris landscape code?
Where is the invasive-species avoidance rule strictest?
Does this rule apply to my own backyard landscaping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Perris
California rules heatmap·Compare Perris to another location·View the California invasive plant rules overview
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Prohibited Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle prohibited species.