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

Unincorporated Sutter County does not mandate native-only yards for ordinary single-family homes, but its Zoning Code favors native and water-wise planting through design standards and the MWELO water budget. For development in designated scenic and hillside combining districts, the Zoning Code (Article 8) requires under its Native Landscaping standard that native and drought-tolerant plant materials, including native tree species, be incorporated into project landscaping. More broadly, the County maintains a Preferred Landscape Plant Materials List through the Development Services Department; required trees, shrubs and ground cover for multi-family and commercial projects must be selected from that list, which steers plant selection toward appropriate, often low-water and native species.

Because all qualifying projects also comply with the state Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (via Zoning Code 1500-06-050(C)), the effective design pressure is toward drought-tolerant, climate-appropriate plantings and away from high-water turf. The County does not prohibit non-native ornamentals on private lots, and there is no native-plant requirement for an existing homeowner simply maintaining a yard. Where habitat or oak woodland is present, state CEQA review (not a county native-plant ordinance) may shape mitigation. Homeowners wanting a native or pollinator garden face no county barrier and can use the Landscape Plant Materials List as a guide.