Kirkwood, MO Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Native plants
- Encouraged, not mandatory, § 25-58(d)
- Canopy tree minimum
- Two-inch caliper at planting
- Evergreen tree minimum
- Eight feet in height
- Replacement deadline
- 30 days for dead or damaged plants
- Exempt projects
- Infill single-family and platted subdivision lots
Summary
Kirkwood's landscaping code encourages using and maintaining native plant materials on new development sites, per § 25-58(d) of the Zoning and Subdivision Code, though it sets no native-species quota. The same subsection does mandate minimum sizes for canopy trees, understory trees, evergreens and shrubs, and requires a landscaping plan for projects under Planning and Zoning Commission review.
Planting requirements. A list of desirable and undesirable tree species can be found in the document titled "Street Tree Selections for Kirkwood," a copy of which can be obtained from the Department of Public Services. The use and maintenance of native plant materials is encouraged.
Full Breakdown
Kirkwood's landscaping standards sit in Zoning and Subdivision Code Article VIII, §§ 25-58 through 25-61, and apply to all new planting materials citywide unless a project is exempted under § 25-59(a): infill single-family homes and lots inside an already-approved, platted subdivision skip this article, though infill projects still answer to Chapter 24's tree rules. " That is a policy nudge, not a numeric mandate, and it sits alongside real minimums that are mandatory: canopy trees need at least a two-inch caliper, understory trees at least one and one-half inches, evergreen trees at least eight feet of height at planting, and shrubs are sorted into Type A (under 18 inches), Type B (18 to 24 inches), and Type C (over 18 inches) for use in buffers and screening.
Applicants pull species guidance from the City's "Street Tree Selections for Kirkwood" list, available from the Department of Public Services, and any site subject to Planning and Zoning Commission review must submit a landscaping plan and a tree preservation plan under Chapter 24, Article II at the same time as the site plan. Section 25-58(f) then makes maintenance an ongoing property-owner duty: any required tree, plant, or ground cover that dies or is damaged must be replaced within 30 days, or on a schedule the Director of Public Services approves for weather-related delays. Automated irrigation is required for new-construction landscaping under § 25-58(e), though not for renovations or additions.
Violations & Fines
Kirkwood does not fine anyone for skipping native species, since § 25-58(d) only encourages the practice. It does enforce the mandatory parts of the same article: installing undersized trees or shrubs, failing to submit the required landscaping and tree preservation plans, or letting required plantings die without replacing them within the 30-day window under § 25-58(f) are Code violations, prosecuted under the general penalty in § 1-8, fine of $5 to $1,000, up to three months in jail, and each day of noncompliance counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kirkwood require me to plant native species?
Which Kirkwood properties have to follow the landscaping article at all?
What happens if a required plant dies?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkwood
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