Southfield, MI Invasive Plant Rules: Tree-of-Heaven Removal (2026)

Southfield City Code § 3.24, in Chapter 28 (Tree Regulations), bars planting eight named species (the code spells the invasive as 'silanthus altissimus') in the public highways, parks or public places of the city: willow, poplar, soft (silver) maple, box elder, Tree of Heaven, wild chestnut, Chinese elm and American elm. It also gives the superintendent of parks and recreation open-ended authority to bar 'other trees, shrubs and vines determined to be undesirable.' The prohibition sits inside a broader chapter that gives the superintendent exclusive power over planting, maintenance and removal of trees and shrubs on public land (§§ 3.22, 3.23), and requires a written permit from the superintendent before anyone plants, trims, or removes a tree or shrub in a highway, park, or public place (§ 3.26).

Because the ban's scope is limited to public land, a Southfield property owner remains free to plant Tree of Heaven or any other listed species on their own private lot; the city cannot cite a homeowner under § 3.24 for what grows in a private yard. The superintendent is charged with enforcing the chapter and may act through duly authorized agents (§ 3.22), and no person may prevent, delay or interfere with that enforcement (§ 3.33).