Wauwatosa, WI Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)

Wauwatosa's landscaping and screening chapter requires every plant selected for a required landscape area to be well-suited to the site's microclimate and soil, rated for USDA Hardiness Zones 1 through 5, and compliant with the American Standards for Nursery Stock. 050 states flatly that invasive species may not be used to meet landscape requirements. 12, meaning new parking lot construction, perimeter and interior vehicular use area landscaping, required screening, and other development or redevelopment projects reviewed by the city; detached, semi-detached, attached and two-unit houses are exempt from the landscaping chapter entirely, so the invasive-species rule mainly binds commercial, multi-family and institutional projects.

The zoning ordinance's terminology chapter defines Invasive (plant) Species as plant species regulated under the Wisconsin Invasive Species Rule, Chapter NR 40, tying the local prohibition directly to the state's own list rather than a locally drafted one. Existing non-invasive trees and shrubs on a site can still count toward meeting the chapter's landscaping requirements if they meet the size standards, but an existing invasive plant cannot be credited. A landscape plan submitted for site plan, conditional use or building permit review must be certified by a Wisconsin registered landscape architect, giving the city a professional check on plant selection before the invasive-species rule is applied at approval.