Howard County places no restriction on planting native or pollinator gardens. Maryland's low-impact landscaping law (House Bill 322, 2021) bars homeowners associations from prohibiting native-plant gardens, rain gardens, pollinator gardens or xeriscaping, or from forcing residents to keep turf-grass lawns.
The county does not regulate which plant species a resident chooses, and it encourages native and pollinator plantings through Live Green Howard and Bee City / pollinator initiatives. The bigger legal protection is at the state level: Maryland's 2021 low-impact landscaping law amended the Real Property Article so recorded covenants and homeowners associations may not impose unreasonable limits on native-plant gardens, pollinator gardens, rain gardens or xeriscaping, and may not require that cultivated vegetation consist wholly or partly of turf grass. HOAs may still set reasonable design and location guidelines, and yards must be maintained, not neglected.
No county penalty applies to native plantings. A homeowner whose HOA unlawfully bans low-impact landscaping can challenge the restriction under the Maryland Real Property Article.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Howard County park property is open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset. Being in a park between sunset and sunrise is prohibited under Howard Cou...
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Howard County limits light trespass onto neighboring residential property. Measured three feet above ground at the property line, spillover is capped at 0.1 ...
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Howard County's Zoning Regulations Section 134.0 requires most outdoor light fixtures to be fully or partially shielded to reduce glare and skyglow. The rule...
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Howard County's sign code has no special garage-sale sign category. Signs placed in County rights-of-way or attached to utility poles or trees are prohibited...
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Howard County allows political campaign signs up to nine square feet total per premises in residential districts and 32 square feet in commercial or industri...
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Howard County has no standalone tiny-home zoning category. A permanent tiny dwelling is regulated as an accessory apartment under Section 128.0.13, which req...
See how Howard County's native plants rules stack up against other locations.
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