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

Section 15.75.020(2)(b)(ii) governs plant material selection for landscape projects that must submit a full Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet rather than use the small-project prescriptive path. Any plant may be selected for the landscape as long as the Estimated Total Water Use does not exceed the Maximum Applied Water Allowance, and the code lists methods to hit that target, including 'protection and preservation of native species and natural vegetation' and 'selection of water-conserving plant, tree and turf species, especially local native plants.' Applicants may also draw from plant lists in the community plan, area plan, the county's Landscape Design Guidelines, or a local landscape program, and must weigh a species' local climate suitability, disease and pest resistance, and its listing in local fuel modification plan guidelines given the county's wildfire exposure.

Plants within a hydrozone must share similar water needs, classified as low, moderate, high or mixed water use and labeled accordingly, and high water use plants with a plant factor of 0.7 to 1.0 are barred from street medians entirely. For residential prescriptive-path projects, at least 75% of the plant area, excluding edibles and recycled-water areas, must use climate-adapted plants with an average WUCOLS plant factor of 0.3 or less; nonresidential prescriptive projects must hit 100% under Section 15.75.010(1)(g)(iii)(1). Landscape design in fire-prone areas must also address fire safety, avoiding fire-prone plant materials and highly flammable mulches, consistent with the defensible-space zone required around structures under Public Resources Code Section 4291.