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Union County, NC Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)

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

Key Facts

Governing section
UDO Article 55, § 55.100
Restricted list
NCDOT Invasive Exotic Plants of NC
Effect
No landscaping credit for listed species
Enforcing office
Planning & Development Services administrator
Citation fines
$50 / $200 / $500 (§ 95.020)
Applies in
Unincorporated Union County only

Summary

In unincorporated Union County, the Unified Development Ordinance blocks any tree or plant species on the North Carolina Department of Transportation's Invasive Exotic Plants of North Carolina list from counting toward required landscaping or screening. A site or landscape plan reviewed by the Planning and Development Services administrator must substitute approved species before permits or a certificate of occupancy can issue.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Union County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Tree and Plant Species Tree and plant species listed in the North Carolina Department of Transportation's Invasive Exotic Plants of North Carolina may not be credited toward satisfying the landscaping and screening requirements of this article.

View official code

Full Breakdown

2021) governs materials, maintenance and design for required landscaping and screening in unincorporated Union County, outside every town's corporate limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction. Its "Tree and Plant Species" clause disqualifies any species on NCDOT's Invasive Exotic Plants of North Carolina list from being credited toward the article's landscaping and screening counts, whether the requirement comes from perimeter parking lot landscaping, land use buffers, or screening around equipment. 1) specifications. It separately bars substituting artificial plants, trees, or other artificial vegetation for any required planting, and requires ground cover, not mulch alone, on any required landscape area not planted in trees and shrubs. 100 states plainly that failure to maintain it is itself a violation of the ordinance. 100.

Violations & Fines

Relying on an NCDOT-listed invasive species to satisfy Article 55's landscaping or screening count, or letting approved plantings die without replacement, violates Section 55.100. Under Section 95.020, the county issues a warning citation giving 10 days to correct the violation, then a $50 fine for a first citation, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third or subsequent citation for the same offense, with each day of continuing violation treated as a separate offense. The administrator can also deny or revoke permits on the property until the violation is corrected, and unresolved violations of the ordinance constitute a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500 or up to 30 days imprisonment under NCGS 14-4.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I plant NCDOT-listed invasive species on my property in unincorporated Union County?
The UDO doesn't ban owning or planting NCDOT-listed invasive exotic species outright, but if your project must satisfy Article 55's landscaping, screening or buffer requirements, those species cannot count toward them. The administrator will reject a landscape plan that relies on prohibited species to meet required tree, shrub or ground cover counts.
What happens if required landscaping isn't maintained?
Section 55.100 makes failure to maintain required landscaping and screening, per American Standard for Nursery Stock (ANSI Z60.1), a violation of the ordinance. Under Section 95.020 that draws a 10-day warning citation, then escalating fines of $50, $200 and $500 for repeat citations, with each day counted as a separate offense.
Does this rule apply inside Monroe or Waxhaw?
No. The Union County Unified Development Ordinance governs only unincorporated Union County, outside the corporate limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction of Monroe, Waxhaw, Indian Trail, Weddington, Stallings, Wesley Chapel, Marvin, Mineral Springs, Unionville, Wingate and Marshville, each of which applies its own municipal code.
Can artificial plants replace the banned invasive species?
No. Section 55.100 separately prohibits using artificial plants, trees or other artificial vegetation to satisfy any landscaping requirement, so a site plan must use live, non-invasive species suited to USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7b to meet the county's landscaping and screening standards.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Union County

Noise Ordinances: Decibel LimitsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Leaf Blower RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesHeavy RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingLight Restrictions

All Union County rules

Compare Union County to another location·View the North Carolina invasive plant rules overview

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