Avondale, AZ Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Avondale's landscape design standards in Chapter 28, Article 12 steer new landscaping toward desert-adapted, low-water plants. Under section 28-293, all trees and plant material used within public rights-of-way must conform to the most current Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) 'Drought Tolerant / Low Water Use Plant List' for the Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA); plant types not on that list proposed for on-site landscaping must be approved by the zoning administrator or authorized designee. Tree sizes must follow the Arizona Nursery Association's Recommended Average Tree Specifications, and plantings in the right-of-way must use recommended techniques to maximize survivability, with diseased, dying or dead trees and shrubs removed and replaced promptly in kind. The ordinance does not mandate native species for a homeowner's entire private yard, but it strongly channels right-of-way and required landscaping toward the ADWR low-water list. These standards apply chiefly to development landscape plans; existing undisturbed natural desert vegetation is recognized and protected from related blight provisions. The city separately encourages desert landscaping through outdoor-conservation programs and turf-to-xeriscape conversion rebates.