Tacoma, WA Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned in required landscaping
- Class A, B, or C noxious weeds
- List authority
- Pierce County Noxious Weed Control Board
- Invasive species
- don't count toward required plantings
- Governing section
- TMC § 13.06.090B.3.d(1)
Summary
Tacoma bars noxious weeds rated Class A, B, or C by the Pierce County Noxious Weed Control Board from any required landscaped area, and invasive species identified in the city's Urban Forest Manual don't count toward a project's required plantings, under TMC § 13.06.090B.3.d(1).
Invasive species, as identified in the UFM, shall not count toward meeting required plantings. Noxious weeds and weeds listed as Class A, B, or C as determined by the Pierce County Noxious Weed Control Board, are prohibited from being planted in required landscaped areas.
(2) Native species.
A minimum of 50 percent of required landscaping located within Comprehensive Plan designated Open Space Corridors, and a minimum of 25 percent in adjacent areas within 20 feet of Open Space Corridors, must be native plant species. A minimum of 50 percent of required landscaping located within 50 feet of designated Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas must be native plant species. Reductions are permitted when necessary to follow coordinated plans to address slope stability, habitat health, streetscape or area-wide plans.
(3) Best Management Practices (BMPs).
Required landscaping areas are encouraged to incorporate vegetated LID BMPs, as defined in the City of Tacoma Stormwater Management Manual. A vegetated LID BMP may be used to meet landscaping requirements. Limited flexibility shall be granted to specific landscaping standards as applicable to accommodate LID BMPs.
(4) Visibility and safety.
Except in cases where required landscaping is intended to provide dense visual buffers or to enhance natural
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4946110; v22 updated 2026-07-28).
Full Breakdown
The Site Development Standards' plant-selection rules pair a native-planting encouragement with a hard prohibition: weeds the Pierce County Noxious Weed Control Board has listed as Class A, B, or C 'are prohibited from being planted in required landscaped areas' anywhere in the city, regardless of zoning district. Separately, species the Urban Forest Manual identifies as invasive can be planted but don't help satisfy a project's required tree, shrub, or groundcover counts, so a landscape plan built around them will fail to meet its numeric planting requirement.
Violations & Fines
Planting a listed Class A, B, or C noxious weed in a required landscaped area violates TMC § 13.06.090B and TMC § 13.05.150's general enforcement provision, subjecting the owner to Code Enforcement action and required removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What weeds can't I plant in my Tacoma landscaping?
Does an invasive plant count toward my required landscaping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tacoma
Compare Tacoma to another location·View the Washington invasive plant rules overview
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Prohibited Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle prohibited species.