Summit County, OH Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Native plant minimum
- 30% of subdivision plant materials
- Applies to
- Major Residential Subdivisions, unincorporated county
- Plan designer
- Must be a registered landscape architect
- Prohibited species list
- Appendix K
- Reviewing body
- Summit County Planning Commission
- Penalty range
- $100 to $1,000 per violation, per day
Summary
Summit County's subdivision regulations require every Landscape Plan submitted for a Major Residential Subdivision in the unincorporated county to work at least 30% native trees, shrubs and grasses into the plant list, and bar any species on the Appendix K prohibited list. A registered landscape architect must design the plan, which the County Planning Commission reviews before final plat approval.
(a) Native Plants and Prohibited Species. All Landscape Plans should incorporate at least thirty (30%) of native trees, shrubs and grasses into the plant materials to provide habitat for local flora and fauna and reduce irrigation needs. Landscape Plans shall not utilize species that are included on the list of prohibited species found in Appendix K.
Full Breakdown
07(a) of the Subdivision Regulations, part of Chapter 1106's Landscape Plan requirement for Major Residential Subdivisions, sets the native-planting floor. The rule sits inside Part Eleven of the Codified Ordinances, the General Rules and Regulations for Plats and Subdivisions in the Unincorporated Area of Summit County (Sec. 01), and under Sec. 03 it only reaches subdivisions of land in the unincorporated county, not Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Barberton, Stow, Hudson or other incorporated cities, and not existing, already-developed lots. Every Landscape Plan for a Major Subdivision must be designed by a registered landscape architect and reviewed by the County Planning Commission alongside the local Township and County Engineer before the Final Plat records.
That plan must identify existing and proposed trees, shrubs, ground covers and natural features such as rock outcroppings, and where existing plants are kept, show how they will be protected during construction. Sec. 07(a) layers on two further requirements: at least 30% of the plant materials must be native trees, shrubs and grasses, chosen to provide wildlife habitat and cut irrigation demand, and none of the plant list may come from the prohibited-species list in Appendix K. The current text traces to Res. 2008-026 (adopted March 17, 2008) and was carried forward through Ord.
2015-561 (January 25, 2016) and Ord. 2023-339 (November 27, 2023). Sec. 01 puts joint administration in the hands of the Planning Commission, County Executive, County Engineer and Department of Sanitary Sewer Services, and a Developer who cannot meet the 30% figure because of site conditions may seek a variance under Sec. 06 by filing an application at least 20 days before a Planning Commission meeting.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 1111.05 makes willful violation of the Subdivision Regulations, including an approved Landscape Plan's native-planting and prohibited-species terms, punishable by a penalty of $100 to $1,000 per violation, with each day a violation continues after notice treated as a separate violation. The Planning Commission refers violations to the County Prosecutor, who pursues the penalty and any civil injunctive relief in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 30% native-plant rule apply to my existing yard?
Who decides what counts as a prohibited species?
What happens if a developer can't reach 30% native plants?
Who enforces the native-plant requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Summit County
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