Ashwaubenon, WI Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Alongside its six-inch grass standard, the Village's noxious weeds ordinance, Section 11-1-21(F), builds in a specific allowance for native landscaping. Section 11-1-21(F)(2) defines Native plants as those grasses, including prairie grasses, sedges, and forbs, flowering broadleaf plants, that are native to or naturalized to the State of Wisconsin, and separately defines Planned natural landscaping as a planned, intentional and maintained planting of native plants, ornamental grasses and groundcovers, rain gardens, shrubs and trees, while making clear that the designation is not intended to allow a property owner to ignore lawn care duties and does not cover turf grass or gardens.

A rain garden gets its own definition too: a native plant garden designed not only to aesthetically improve properties, but also to reduce the amount of storm water and accompanying pollutants from entering streams, rivers and lakes. The exemption itself sits at Section 11-1-21(F)(3)(c)(v): planned natural landscaping is excused from the height and weed-destruction rule as long as it is wholly contained within the parcel on which it is planted and maintained. A native planting that spreads onto a neighbor's lot or the right-of-way loses the protection for that portion.

If the Village ever has to destroy noncompliant vegetation despite the landscaping claim, the cost is assessed under Wis. Stat. 0517(3)(b)1, the same special-charge mechanism used for ordinary weed abatement. This is a real carve-out from a general rule, not a promotional description: without it, a tall stand of native prairie grass would violate the flat six-inch limit that governs an ordinary improved lot.