Livonia, MI Invasive Plant Rules: Tree-of-Heaven Removal (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited species
- Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven)
- Section
- Zoning Ordinance § 10.04(3)
- Applies to
- required landscaping on site-plan-review lots
- Other listed species
- boxelder maple, catalpa, poplar, willow, ash
- Enforcement
- Building Official, Dept. of Inspection
- Penalty
- up to $500 fine, 93 days jail, or civil infraction
Summary
Livonia's Zoning Ordinance keeps tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) off the list of species that can satisfy any required landscape plan. Section 10.04(3) names it directly in a table of prohibited species, alongside boxelder maple, catalpa, poplars, willows and ash. Developers building under a site plan cannot count it toward required trees or shrubs.
(3)Prohibited Species. Based on the undesirability of the following species, they are prohibited from being planted as required landscaping. The City Council or Planning Director may prohibit other species that are not listed below.Latin (scientific name) Prohibited Species Description or Characteristic of Plant Acer negundo Boxelder Maple Catalpa speciosa Catalpa Populus sp. Poplars Salix sp. Willows Ailanthus altissima Tree of Heaven Fraxinus sp. Ash Due to Emerald Ash Borer. Acer sp. Maples Should be discouraged due to overuse in landscape.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 | Zoning: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
Article X of the Livonia Zoning Ordinance sets landscaping standards for every site subject to site plan review, covering frontage plantings, parking lot screening, loading area buffers and greenbelts between districts. 04, "Standards for Plant Materials," fixes minimum plant sizes and then lists species the City will not credit toward those requirements. 03's greenbelt, frontage and parking lot rules. " The restriction is narrower than a citywide ban on the tree itself: it governs what satisfies a required landscape plan, not incidental growth on a lot carrying no landscaping obligation.
05(2) folds the same species list into ongoing maintenance duty, since an approved landscape plan is treated as a permanent record the owner must keep compliant, and unapproved substitutions create a nonconformity under the Ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Article XIV governs enforcement. Section 14.03 makes the Building Official responsible for citing anyone who violates "any of the provisions of this Ordinance," with a fine up to $500, imprisonment up to 93 days, or both, or a civil infraction capped at $500 for a first offense; each day of noncompliance is a separate violation. Section 14.02 separately declares violations a nuisance per se that a court can order abated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the tree of heaven rule in Livonia?
Can the City ban other species beyond the ones listed?
What happens if a landscape plan includes tree of heaven?
Is tree of heaven the only invasive tree restricted in Livonia's landscaping code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Livonia
Compare Livonia to another location·View the Michigan invasive plant rules overview
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Tree-of-Heaven Removal in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle tree-of-heaven removal.