Sedona, AZ Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)
Key Facts
- Artificial plants
- Trees, shrubs, plants prohibited (5.6.C(1)b.5)
- Artificial turf
- Expressly excluded from that ban
- Turf area cap
- 10% of landscape area (5.6.C(1)k)
- Floodplain exception
- 500-year Oak Creek floodplain exempt
Summary
Sedona's landscaping standards ban artificial trees, shrubs, and plants outright but carve out one specific exception: artificial turf is not covered by that prohibition, so synthetic lawn areas are allowed under Section 5.6.C(1)b.5 of the Land Development Code wherever the section applies.
5. Artificial Plant Materials Artificial trees, shrubs, or plants (not including artificial turf) are prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Initiative Ordinance 2026-01, approved by voters at the July 21, 2026 election).
Full Breakdown
6 apply. 6 can install synthetic grass without running afoul of this specific rule, even though fake trees, plastic shrubs, and silk plants used as substitutes for living landscaping cannot be counted toward, or installed within, a required landscape area. B(4) exempts most single-family residential lots from for the general landscaping and buffering rules, though not the separate Tree Preservation standards. C(1)k, which limits lawn or turf area, whether living grass or synthetic surface, to 10 percent of the overall landscape area of a project site, except within the 500-year floodplain of Oak Creek.
The Director can allow a larger turf footprint if the applicant shows the grass species and irrigation method won't demand high water use, a showing that has no bearing on artificial turf since it uses no irrigation at all.
Violations & Fines
Installing artificial trees, shrubs, or plants other than turf as landscaping violates Section 5.6.C(1)b.5 and can be cited as noncompliant landscaping during the pre-occupancy inspection required by Section 5.6.C(4)b, or as a maintenance violation under Section 5.6.C(4)d.3 if discovered later. Oversized turf coverage beyond the 10 percent cap in Section 5.6.C(1)k faces the same enforcement path toward correction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put artificial turf in my Sedona yard?
Is there a limit on how much artificial turf I can install?
Can I use fake plants instead of live landscaping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sedona
How Sedona compares: Most Artificial Turf-Friendly Cities·Compare Sedona to another location·View the Arizona landscaping rules overview
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