Ayer, MA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Native plant landscaping is actively promoted across Middlesex County by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, MA Department of Environmental Protection, and local Conservation Commissions. There are no restrictions on planting native species, and most Middlesex towns support pollinator gardens, meadow conversions, and native habitat restoration. The Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (333 CMR 9.00) bans the sale, trade, and propagation of about 140 invasive species including Japanese knotweed, purple loosestrife, Norway maple, burning bush (Euonymus alatus), and oriental bittersweet. Towns with wetlands protection bylaws (almost all 54 Middlesex municipalities have them under MGL c.131 s.40) often require native species for restoration plantings within 100-foot buffer zones. Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Newton, and Lexington operate Pollinator Pathway programs. The New England Wild Flower Society (Garden in the Woods in Framingham) is a regional native plant resource. Registering a certified pollinator garden may exempt you from nuisance weed rules.