Tucson, AZ Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Regulated species
- Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare)
- State listing
- Arizona Noxious Weed List since 2005
- Duty
- Continuous removal from all site areas
- Future phases covered
- Yes, per UDC Sec. 7.6.4.E.3
- Enforcement point
- PDSD inspection before certificate of occupancy
- Default citywide penalty
- Up to $2,500 fine / 6 months, Sec. 1-8
Summary
Every developed site in Tucson must be continuously maintained to remove buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare), a state-listed noxious weed that turns fire-resistant desert into flammable grassland, under the city's landscape maintenance standard checked at final inspection before occupancy.
Unless maintained as undisturbed natural desert, all portions of a site not occupied by buildings, structures, vehicular use areas, oasis areas, pedestrian circulation areas, or required landscape elements must be landscaped with vegetation from the list located in Section 5-02.5.0 of the Technical Standards Manual, reseeded with a native seed mix, or treated with an inorganic ground cover and maintained in a clean condition. All portions of a site including common areas, natural areas, and revegetated or landscaped areas are to continuously be maintained to remove populations of buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-150: Current through June 23, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Buffelgrass gets singled out by name in Tucson's Unified Development Code because of the wildfire risk it poses to the Sonoran Desert. C explains that Arizona placed buffelgrass on the state Noxious Weed List in 2005, "prohibiting its entry or sale in the state," and that the grass can kill Saguaros and threaten species like the desert tortoise and mule deer when it burns. 3 extends the same duty to future building pads on phased development sites that haven't broken ground yet. This is a standing maintenance obligation, not a one-time planting rule, and it runs with the property regardless of who owns it.
A, the populations must be mapped and included in that plan or the Environmental Resource Report, with ongoing eradication and monitoring required for both developed and undeveloped portions of the property. 1, and with the owner or tenant's permission, city staff may enter the site afterward to verify continued compliance. D, but the code does not carve buffelgrass out of the maintenance duty itself.
Violations & Fines
The UDC does not set a buffelgrass-specific fine schedule the way it does for protected native plants; a site that fails the Section 7.6.4.E maintenance standard can be held up at final inspection, since PDSD must sign off on required landscaping before a certificate of occupancy issues. Beyond that, Tucson Code Section 1-8 supplies the citywide default: any Code violation lacking its own penalty is punishable by a fine of up to $2,500, up to six months imprisonment, and up to 36 months probation, with each day of continuing noncompliance treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tucson ban buffelgrass on private property?
Why does Tucson single out buffelgrass among invasive plants?
Do I have to remove buffelgrass from land I haven't developed yet?
What happens if a site fails Tucson's buffelgrass maintenance rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tucson
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