Walker County, GA Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)

Walker County addresses invasive landscaping plants through its public-nuisance article rather than a standalone invasive-species law. Section 16-489(d), titled Plants, states that the following plants shall not be installed as landscape material: kudzu (Pueraria lobata) and the popcorn or Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum). The prohibition covers new plantings; both species are widely recognized in Georgia as aggressive invaders that choke out native vegetation and are difficult to eradicate once established, which is presumably why the Board of Commissioners singled them out by name rather than relying on a general nuisance-vegetation standard.

The rule sits alongside § 16-489(c)'s separate sight-line requirement for trees and shrubs at intersections and § 16-488(1)'s general 12-inch weed and grass height cap, all part of the same nuisance article, Article IV of chapter 16. Enforcement follows the article's standard abatement chain: a Law Enforcement Official or code enforcement officer can cite the violation or issue a written notice to abate under §§ 16-491 through 16-493, giving the property owner 15 days to remove the prohibited planting before the County escalates, entering the property and billing the owner for correction costs if the deadline is missed.

A second cited violation within 12 months gives the County a standing right to re-enter and correct further violations for the following 365 days without additional notice.