Anchorage, AK Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- AMC 21.07.080F.1.c
- Minimum area credited
- 50% of stand's footprint
- Tree count requirement
- Must equal required new trees
- Can combine with
- New planted landscaping
Summary
Anchorage lets developers count preserved native vegetation toward mandatory landscaping instead of installing all-new plantings.
A mass of existing native plant material preserved on site may be utilized to fulfill a portion of the landscaping requirements identified in this title. To fulfill this requirement, existing plant materials shall include trees, shrubs, and groundcovers. The quantity of trees within the stand of native plant materials shall be at least equal to the quantity of trees required for the types of landscaping identified above. Provided that the stand(s) of existing vegetation meet the requirement for the quantity of trees, the area of the stand of existing vegetation shall be equal to at least 50 percent of the total square foot area for which the existing vegetation is fulfilling the landscaping requirement. Use of existing vegetation may be mixed with planted landscaping improvements to fulfill total requirements.
d. Individual tree specimens. Existing individual tree specimens that are preserved on-site may be used towards meeting the landscaping requirements for visual enhancement, buffer, screening, or freeway landscaping, as identified above, if these trees are located in the applicable site perimeter or parking lot landscaping areas. Retained existing trees that meet the above requirements shall be credited as follows:
i. Coniferous trees ten feet or more in height are equivalent to three new trees.
ii. Deciduous trees six inches or greater caliper are equivalent to three new trees.
2. Planting location.
a. Utility easements.
i.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5010260; v11 updated 2026-09-01).
Full Breakdown
Under AMC 21.07.080F.1.c, a developer doesn't have to rip out an existing stand of trees, shrubs, and groundcovers just to plant new nursery stock. A preserved mass of native plant material can fulfill part of the site's landscaping requirement, as long as the stand includes trees, shrubs, and groundcovers, the tree count matches what would otherwise be required, and the preserved area covers at least 50 percent of the square footage it's credited against. Native and planted landscaping can be mixed to meet the total. Individual specimen trees get separate credit too: a retained conifer 10 feet or taller, or a deciduous tree 6 inches or greater in caliper, counts as three new trees under 21.07.080F.1.d.
Violations & Fines
Not a violation-based rule: it's a credit that reduces required new plantings when native vegetation is preserved on site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use existing trees instead of buying new landscaping?
Does a single saved tree count for anything?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anchorage
Compare Anchorage to another location·View the Alaska landscaping rules overview
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