King County, WA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

King County actively promotes native plant landscaping for habitat, pollinator, and water-quality benefits. The 2016-2040 Comprehensive Plan, KCC 21A.24 (Critical Areas Ordinance), and the Shoreline Master Program all prioritize native Pacific Northwest species for mitigation plantings in wetland, stream, and shoreline buffers. Common required natives include western red cedar (Thuja plicata), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), big-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), Pacific ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus), salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), Oregon grape (Mahonia), and native sword fern. The King Conservation District offers an annual native bare-root plant sale at heavily discounted prices for county residents. The King County Native Plant Salvage Program coordinates volunteer salvage from development sites for reuse in restoration projects. The Backyard Habitat and Firewise USA programs further align native plant use with wildlife and fire-adaptation goals. No ordinance requires lawns to be converted to natives, but HOA architectural covenants in some master-planned communities may limit front-yard natural landscaping. Drought-tolerant and pollinator plantings are encouraged and exempt from most HOA turf rules in post-2020 Washington law (review HB 1673 turf and lawn rules).