Peoria County, IL Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- State law
- 765 ILCS 167 (eff. 2024)
- HOAs
- Cannot ban native yards
- City rule
- Turf cap still applies
- Condition
- Keep maintained, weed-free
- Setting
- Prairie, river bluffs
Summary
Native prairie landscaping suits this river-valley county. Since July 2024, Illinois' Homeowners' Native Landscaping Act bars HOAs from prohibiting native-species yards, so a maintained prairie garden is legal, not a code violation.
An Association shall not prohibit any resident or owner from planting or growing Illinois native species on the resident's or owner's lawn so long as the area is maintained predominantly free of weeds, invasive species, and trash, and vegetation does not extend over or onto neighboring properties, public or common sidewalks, pathways, streets or other public or common areas or elements, and does not interfere with traffic or utilities.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
This is prairie and river-bluff country, and the law increasingly reflects it. The Homeowners' Native Landscaping Act (765 ILCS 167), effective July 19, 2024, prohibits homeowners' associations from banning residents who plant Illinois native species, so long as the area stays predominantly free of weeds, invasive species, and trash and does not spill onto neighbors or sidewalks. The act limits HOAs, not the city, so Peoria's ten-inch mowing rule still governs ordinary turf; a cultivated, maintained native bed is treated differently from a neglected weed patch. A cared-for prairie garden is protected; a neglected one is not.
Violations & Fines
A genuine, maintained native landscape is protected, and an HOA that bans it may be overstepping state law. A neglected planting overtaken by noxious weeds still triggers weed abatement and possible city clearing at the owner's cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my HOA make me tear out a native plant garden?
Will the city ticket my prairie garden as tall weeds?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Peoria County
Compare Peoria County to another location·View the Illinois landscaping rules overview
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