Hawthorne, CA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Hawthorne has no ordinance requiring property owners to plant California native species, and homeowners remain free to choose ornamental landscaping. The city does, however, channel larger landscape projects toward water-wise, climate-appropriate planting through its Water Efficient Landscaping ordinance, which implements California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). That ordinance applies to new construction projects (residential, public, institutional, or commercial) with an aggregate landscape area of 500 square feet or more that require a building or landscape permit, plan check, or design review, and to rehabilitated landscape projects with an aggregate landscape area of 2,500 square feet or more. Projects must comply with MWELO provisions, including those referenced from section 492.6 of the state ordinance covering plant selection, mulch, and compost. Among the requirements, a minimum three-inch layer of mulch must be applied on all exposed soil surfaces of planting areas, except in turf areas, creeping or rooting groundcovers, or direct-seeding applications where mulch is contraindicated; organic mulch made from recycled or post-consumer materials takes precedence over inorganic materials or virgin forest products where locally available. These rules favor low-water, regionally suited plants over thirsty turf. Outside permitted projects, native and drought-tolerant landscaping is voluntary and encouraged, and Hawthorne-area residents are typically eligible for the Metropolitan Water District's SoCal Water$mart turf-replacement program, which requires replacing removed grass with drought-tolerant (not synthetic) landscaping and a minimum density of plants.