Arlington County, VA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing definition
- County Code § 10-12, "Lawn Area"
- Exempted plantings
- Rain gardens, conservation landscaping, native plant gardens, meadow vegetation
- Standard lawn trigger
- 12 inches, § 10-13.C
- Enforcement path if cited anyway
- 10-day notice, then County cuts and bills owner
- Invasive species reference
- Virginia DCR Invasive Plant Species List
Summary
Arlington County's grass-cutting law does not reach native plant gardens, meadow vegetation or conservation landscaping. County Code § 10-12 defines "Lawn Area" to exclude intentional native and naturalized plantings, so the 12-inch mowing trigger in § 10-13 never applies to them.
“Lawn Area” means an area of land planted predominantly with grasses that form a uniform, long lived groundcover that can tolerate foot traffic and low mowing heights (usually three inches or below), but not a planned, intentional, and maintained planting of grasses, wildflowers, forbs, ferns, shrubs, and trees, including but not limited to rain gardens, conservation landscaping, native plant gardens and meadow vegetation, and ornamental and agricultural plantings.
Full Breakdown
The County's care-of-premises ordinance (Chapter 10, Article II) sets a duty to cut overgrown grass, but it does so through a narrow definition. C, which otherwise requires an owner of occupied residential or commercial property under half an acre to cut grass or lawn area within 10 days of notice from the County Manager or designee once growth exceeds twelve inches. A/B if the growth independently creates a health or safety hazard or harbors "Foreign Growth", defined in § 10-12 as invasive species listed on the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's Invasive Plant Species List. c), but that chapter governs RPA land-disturbance permitting, not routine yard maintenance, and is a separate program from the Chapter 10 lawn-height rule.
Violations & Fines
Ordinary lawn areas that exceed 12 inches trigger a County Manager notice and a 10-day cutting deadline under § 10-13.C; if unmet after 30 days' further notice, the County may cut the grass itself and bill the owner, collectible as a tax lien. Native plant gardens and meadow plantings are exempt from this notice process because they do not meet the § 10-12 "Lawn Area" definition, unless the growth independently becomes a health/safety hazard or consists of invasive "Foreign Growth" species.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Arlington County cite me for letting a native plant garden grow tall?
Is there any way the County can still act on a native landscape bed?
Does this exemption apply to a regular lawn left unmowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington County
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