Champaign, IL Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Height cap exception for
- Native/managed 'alternative vegetation'
- Must be
- Intentionally planted and regularly maintained
- Cannot include
- Any §35-19(a)(4) prohibited species
- Sight-triangle cap still applies
- 24 inches within 35 feet of a corner
- Violation notice method
- Certified mail (§35-20)
- Burden of proof on appeal
- Property owner
Summary
Champaign exempts maintained native and pollinator gardens from its 8-inch vegetation cap through the 'alternative vegetation' definition at Sec. 35-16.1. To qualify, plants must be native or commercially propagated vines, flowers, grasses, vegetables, herbs, or fruit that the owner intentionally plants and regularly maintains, not simply uncut turf or a listed noxious weed.
Alternative vegetation shall mean and include all native or commercially propagated species of vines, annual or perennial flowers and grasses, vegetables, herbs, fruit, or plants excluding trees and shrubs, which are intentionally planted and regularly maintained by the owner or the owner's designee. Turf grass and forms of vegetation prohibited in section 35-19(a)(6) and section 35-19(a)(4), that is eight (8) inches in height or taller shall not be considered alternative vegetation. ... Vegetation in excess of eight (8) inches in height except for alternative vegetation that complies with the other standards set forth in this Chapter; ... If, upon complaint, it is determined by the City that a violation of this chapter exists, the City shall provide notification of the violation to the property owner by certified mail. The owner may appeal this determination as provided in Chapter 22. It shall be the burden of the property owner to prove that the alternative vegetation is being maintained as prescribed in this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' Turf grass left to grow and any species banned under Sec. 35-19(a)(4), such as ragweed or Johnsongrass, do not count as alternative vegetation once they exceed 8 inches. Sec. 35-19(a)(7)a then carves the height cap's exception: vegetation over 8 inches is allowed if it qualifies as alternative vegetation meeting the chapter's other standards. Those standards still apply in full: the planting can't include any species from the Sec. 35-19(a)(4) prohibited list, can't block sidewalk or street sightlines, and is capped at 24 inches within the 35-foot sight triangle at a street corner under Sec.
35-17. If the City receives a complaint and determines a violation exists, Sec. 35-20 requires written notice to the owner by certified mail; the owner can appeal under Chapter 22, but carries the burden of proving the garden is being maintained as alternative vegetation rather than simply overgrown.
Violations & Fines
A disputed native planting is not cited automatically; the City must first determine a violation exists and mail certified notice under Sec. 35-20. The property owner then has the burden of proving on appeal, through Chapter 22's process, that the growth qualifies as maintained alternative vegetation. If the owner can't meet that burden, the planting is treated as an ordinary Sec. 35-19 violation, subject to the Sec. 1-21 general penalty of $1.00 to $750.00 per offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow a native wildflower garden instead of a lawn in Champaign?
Does just not mowing my lawn count as a native garden?
What happens if the City cites my native garden as overgrown weeds?
Can native plants grow tall near a street corner?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Champaign
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