Yavapai County, AZ Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Open Space/Sustainable Development 2.0x bonus tier
- Governing item
- Native plant re-vegetation, displaced or locally native
- Elements needed
- 9 of 12 on the second list
- Max project size
- 640 acres
- Governing section
- Ordinance Section 441.D.3.i
Summary
Yavapai County has no general native-plant mandate for private landowners, but its zoning density-bonus program rewards native re-vegetation: Planning & Zoning Ordinance Section 441.D.3.i credits projects that re-vegetate disturbed ground with displaced native plants or other plants native to the area toward the 2.0x Open Space and Sustainable Development density bonus.
3. The maximum density established by Section 441.C.3 may be increased to a value equal to the maximum density multiplied by a factor of 2.0 when nine (9) out of the twelve (12) conservation and sustainable design elements required by Section 441.D.1 and nine (9) out of the following twelve (12) conservation and sustainable design elements are incorporated within the development. Land Development Items: ... i. Native plant re-vegetation utilizing displaced native plants or approved plants native to the area.
Full Breakdown
Section 441 offers developers on the Open Space and Sustainable Development Option, capped at 640 acres, extra density in exchange for specific conservation measures. 1, plus nine of a second list of twelve. Item i on that list is "native plant re-vegetation utilizing displaced native plants or approved plants native to the area," rewarding projects that restore disturbed land with vegetation salvaged from the site or otherwise native to it rather than imported ornamental landscaping. Companion items on the same list address related sustainable-design goals: pervious paving, solar-oriented lot layout, and stormwater infiltration, so native re-vegetation is typically paired with other conservation measures to reach the required count of nine.
D states the density incentives "shall not be an assumed right" and are granted only at the sole discretion of the County upon a finding that the proposed elements meaningfully advance the ordinance's sustainability purpose. 5 subordinates the requirement to conflicting state law on minimum lot size for water and wastewater systems.
Violations & Fines
There is no freestanding penalty for failing to landscape with native plants outside this program; the requirement only exists as a recorded covenant condition tied to an approved bonus-density project. A recorded breach is enforced as a zoning violation under Section 206, up to $750 a day for an individual or $10,000 for a corporation, plus possible Class 2 misdemeanor charges and County-initiated injunctive or abatement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must homeowners in Yavapai County landscape with native plants?
What plants qualify for the native-plant credit?
Does using native plants alone guarantee the density bonus?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yavapai County
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