Monterey County, CA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

There is no rule forcing existing homeowners in unincorporated Monterey County to plant native species. The relevant requirements apply to qualifying new and rehabilitated landscapes through water-efficient landscape ordinances. Statewide, California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO), codified in Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations, requires local agencies to adopt and enforce MWELO or a local ordinance at least as effective. Under MWELO's thresholds, water-efficient landscape and irrigation standards generally attach to new landscapes of 500 square feet or more and rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more, steering plant selection toward low-water, climate-appropriate (often California-native) species and limiting high-water turf, with water budgets estimated using tools such as WUCOLS. On the Monterey Peninsula, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District enforces Rule 142.1 (Water Efficient Landscape Requirements), adopted to comply with the state MWELO and described by the District as more stringent than the state model; it covers new landscapes over 500 square feet and refurbished landscapes over 2,500 square feet, mandates efficient irrigation (pressure regulators, master shut-off valves, high-efficiency sprinklers, and flow sensors on larger areas), and requires narrow strips under 10 feet wide to use subsurface or low-runoff irrigation. For homeowners re-landscaping below these thresholds, native and drought-tolerant plants are encouraged but not required. California Civil Code 4735 prevents HOAs from prohibiting low-water-using plants or blocking their use as turf replacement.