Mountain View, CA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Policy
- MWELO and Bay-Friendly
- Applies to
- New landscapes over 500 sq ft
- Turf cap
- About 25 percent
- Natives
- Encouraged
- Invasives
- Discouraged
Summary
Mountain View encourages California native and low-water plants through its Bay-Friendly landscaping policies and water-efficient landscape ordinance for new projects.
About 40% of the water Californians use at home is used outdoors. Large water savings can be gained by efficient landscape design, installation, management, and maintenance. This is accomplished by choosing climate adapted plants, improving soil conditions, using, and maintaining high efficiency irrigation equipment and managing the irrigation schedule to fit the plants water needs as they are influenced by local climate. To increase water efficiency and better use a valuable resource, rainwater and stormwater collection and graywater and recycled water can replace or augment potable water use in landscapes. New development and retrofitted landscape water efficiency standards are governed by the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Mountain View adopts the California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) and encourages Bay-Friendly landscape design for new and substantially renovated landscapes over 500 square feet. New landscaping must meet a maximum applied water allowance and emphasize regionally appropriate plants with lower water demands. California native plants such as toyon, ceanothus, California poppy, coffeeberry, and coast live oak count toward these targets and are explicitly encouraged. Invasive species listed by Cal-IPC are discouraged and should not be planted. Lawn area in newly installed residential landscapes is typically capped at 25 percent of the landscaped area under MWELO. The city offers landscape design assistance and occasional rebates for lawn-to-native conversions through Valley Water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to follow MWELO for my yard redesign?
Where can I see recommended natives?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mountain View
California rules heatmap·Compare Mountain View to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Native Plants in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle native plants.