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Sedona, AZ Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Rule applies to
Alternative landscape plans & tree removal review
Review authority
Planning Director, City of Sedona
List source
Adopted city, county, or state invasive-species list
Related section
SLDC § 5.6.C(5)b.3, tree removal
No blanket ban
Existing invasive plantings not separately outlawed

Summary

Sedona's Land Development Code keeps invasive species out of approved plantings in two review steps: an alternative landscape plan must skip anything on the adopted invasive-species list, and a tree on that same list can be removed without triggering the Tree Preservation standards.

2. Do not include invasive vegetation included in an adopted city, county, or state list of prohibited or invasive species; ... 3. The tree is identified on an adopted city, county, or state list of trees that are invasive species, exotic, noxious, or discouraged tree species for the Sedona area; or

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Initiative Ordinance 2026-01, approved by voters at the July 21, 2026 election).

Full Breakdown

6, Landscaping, Buffering, and Screening. ' A plan that includes a listed species fails this criterion and cannot be approved as submitted. C(5), no existing tree may be removed without a site development plan, tree removal plan, grading plan, or landscape plan, except where the tree meets one of four listed removal criteria. C(5)d. C(1)b for native and adaptive species. There is no citywide prohibition on property owners keeping already-planted invasive species that predate a project; the rule operates only at the point of a new landscape plan submittal or a tree removal application.

Violations & Fines

There's no separate fine for planting an invasive species outright. The consequence is procedural: the Director rejects an alternative landscape plan that includes a listed species, and a tree removal application can be approved instead of denied when the tree is on the list. Installing invasive plantings under an approved plan that omitted them is a landscaping-maintenance violation under Section 5.6.C(4)d.3, since 'failure to maintain approved landscaping shall constitute a violation of this LDC.'

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Sedona ban invasive plants on private property?
No blanket ban exists. The invasive-species list matters only when a developer files an alternative landscape plan under Section 5.6.B(7), which the Director must reject if it includes a listed species, or when someone applies to remove a tree that is on the same list.
Can I cut down a tree because it's invasive?
Yes. Section 5.6.C(5)b.3 lets you remove a tree without triggering the usual replacement requirement if it 'is identified on an adopted city, county, or state list of trees that are invasive species, exotic, noxious, or discouraged tree species for the Sedona area.'
Where is the invasive-species list published?
The code references 'an adopted city, county, or state list' without naming it in Section 5.6; Sedona's Planning Department applies the current list, tied to the Administrative Manual, during landscape plan and tree removal review of your project.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Sedona

Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash LawsSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic ZoningSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Wildlife Rescue PermitsLight RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Bird ProtectionSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Wildlife FeedingHeavy RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Exotic PetsHeavy Restrictions

All Sedona rules

Compare Sedona to another location·View the Arizona invasive plant rules overview

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