Wausau, WI Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governs
- landscaping plans under city site plan review
- Outright banned
- buckthorn, honeysuckle, barberry, multiflora rose
- Use Sparingly cap
- 1 plant per 20 in same classification
- Also banned
- ash trees (emerald ash borer), silver maple
- Alternatives provided
- per species, e.g. Gray Dogwood for buckthorn
- Reviewed by
- the Zoning Administrator
Summary
Wausau's zoning code lists buckthorn, multiflora rose, honeysuckle, Japanese barberry, and other invasive species as flatly 'Prohibited' on its landscaping plant table, barring them from any landscaping plan the City reviews. A separate 'Use Sparingly' category caps over-planted species at one in every 20 plants of the same type.
Classification Common Name Scientific Name Prohibited2or Use Sparingly1 Reason Alternative ... Tall Deciduous Shrub Buckthorns Rhamnus cathartica Prohibited Invasive, non-native Gray Dogwood ... Tall Deciduous Shrub Multiflora rose Rosa multiflora Prohibited Invasive, non-native Medium Deciduous ... Shrub Honeysuckle Lonicera spp. Prohibited Invasive, non-native Low Deciduous Shrub Japanese Barberry Berberis thunbergii Prohibited Invasive; over- planted Dwarf bush honeysuckle Diervilla lonicera ... 2 " Prohibited Species" shall not be included as part of any landscaping plan that is subject to City review per section 23.08.20. The purpose of this provision is to limit the planting of species that are invasive, have invasive tendencies, or that may perpetuate or spread disease.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
20. ), Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii), Autumn-olive, Japanese spirea, Burning bush, White mulberry, and several trees such as non-resistant elms, Boxelder, Freeman Maple, Norway Maple, Silver Maple, Ash trees, Cottonwood, and Willow, each flagged for reasons like invasiveness, disease susceptibility, or aggressive root systems. Note 2 to the figure states that a 'Prohibited Species' shall not be included as part of any landscaping plan subject to City review, to limit planting of species that are invasive, have invasive tendencies, or may spread disease. A second tier, 'Use Sparingly,' covers species that are over-planted or environmentally picky; note 1 limits those to no more than one plant per 20 total plants within the same classification on an approved plan.
The table also lists approved alternatives next to each banned species, such as Gray Dogwood or Lilacs in place of buckthorn, and Dwarf bush honeysuckle in place of Japanese Barberry, steering landscaping plans toward non-invasive substitutes.
Violations & Fines
A landscaping plan submitted for site plan review that specifies a Prohibited species does not meet section 23.08.40, and the Zoning Administrator can reject the plan or require the applicant to substitute an approved alternative before the plan or related permit is approved. Exceeding the one-in-20 cap on a Use Sparingly species in an approved plan is likewise a nonconformance the Administrator can require corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant buckthorn or honeysuckle in Wausau?
What plants can I use instead of Japanese barberry in Wausau?
Does Wausau limit non-invasive but over-planted species too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wausau
Compare Wausau to another location·View the Wisconsin invasive plant rules overview
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