Erie, PA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Erie's approach to native-plant landscaping is voluntary and education-based rather than mandatory. The Erie Environmental Advisory Council (EAC), codified in the Erie Codified Ordinances at https://ecode360.com/43570009, is established under the authority of the Pennsylvania Environmental Advisory Council Act (53 P.S. §11304 et seq.). The Council studies environmental and sustainability issues for City Council and supports community programs on stormwater, tree planting, and sustainability outreach. Native-plant resources for Erie homeowners include the PA DCNR Native Plant program, the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society, the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Erie County (offering free yard consultations and demonstration gardens), and the Tom Ridge Environmental Center programming associated with Presque Isle State Park. Pennsylvania law does not impose a statewide native-plant mandate on residential property. The Pennsylvania Right to Farm Act (3 P.S. §951-957) provides nuisance protection for established agricultural operations against complaints raised more than one year after the operation began. Article 1129's high-grass-and-weeds enforcement still applies to neglected lots, but Article 1129 expressly excludes 'cultivated flowers, gardens, trees and shrubs' from its weed definition, so a maintained native-pollinator garden is distinguished from rank growth. The City Zoning Ordinance (https://ecode360.com/ER3969) encourages — but does not require — native species in stormwater best-management practices and street-tree plantings.