Edmonds, WA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone
- Firdale Village MU zone only
- Minimum native/drought-tolerant share
- 20% of landscaped areas
- Governing chapter
- ECDC 22.100 site design standards
- Standard type
- mandatory ("shall"), not advisory
- Enforcement
- civil violation, Ch. 20.110 ECDC
Summary
Development within Edmonds's Firdale Village mixed-use zone must use native and drought-tolerant plants in at least 20 percent of all landscaped areas. The Community Development Code sets this as part of the site design standards that guide project review by the architectural design board and city planning staff for that neighborhood along Firdale Avenue.
Native and drought-tolerant plants shall be used where possible. A minimum of 20 percent of all landscaped areas should include native drought-tolerant plants.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
000(A). This is the mixed-use neighborhood centered on Firdale Avenue in south Edmonds; the requirement does not extend to other zones in the city. 050, a project's site landscaping plan must incorporate a range of landscape materials, trees, evergreen shrubs, groundcovers and seasonal flowers for color and visual interest, and within that plan, native and drought-tolerant species must make up at least 20 percent of all landscaped area. 000(A) tells applicants that the chapter's "shall" and "must" language marks a mandatory standard rather than a suggestion, distinguishing it from the "should"/"may" language used for merely encouraged design choices elsewhere in the same chapter.
The native-plant share is written with "shall be used where possible" language for the plant choice itself, paired with a firm "minimum of 20 percent" figure for the coverage share, so a landscape plan showing less than one-fifth native or drought-tolerant material in its planted area does not meet the standard absent a documented site constraint. Firdale Village landscape plans are reviewed alongside the chapter's broader open-space, parking-lot screening and lighting standards as part of project design review, and a plan that falls short can be sent back for revision before the city issues approval. 050(B).
Violations & Fines
Firdale Village design standards are enforced as a condition of project approval, and noncompliance is pursued as a civil code violation under Chapter 20.110 ECDC. The director can issue an order to correct violation, followed by a notice of civil violation carrying a stated monetary penalty if the deficiency isn't fixed by the compliance date. A cited party has 15 days to appeal to the city hearing examiner; unresolved penalties and abatement costs can become a lien against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Edmonds require native plants in landscaping citywide?
What share of a Firdale Village landscape plan must be native or drought-tolerant?
Is the native-plant requirement optional for Firdale Village developers?
What happens if a Firdale Village project's landscaping falls short?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
Compare Edmonds to another location·View the Washington landscaping rules overview
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Native Plants in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle native plants.