Newport Beach, CA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Any project that must submit a landscape and irrigation plan under Chapter 20.36 (all discretionary applications and zoning clearances except single-unit and two-unit developments) has to follow the plant selection and irrigation standards in Section 20.36.070. Subsection D requires plant materials to be selected for low water demand and drought tolerance, adaptability to the Newport Beach environment, and the site's geological and topographical conditions; subsection D.1 specifically directs that "landscape designs shall emphasize the use of drought tolerant plant species (xeriscape)." The same section carves out a direct benefit for native planting: subsection G.1 requires an automatic irrigation system for all landscaped areas 'except those intentionally maintained with native plants,' meaning a native-plant area can be installed and maintained without the automatic irrigation system, controllers, and check valves mandated everywhere else in the section.

Applicants must still meet the other Chapter 20.36 standards: minimum planting widths of three feet for shrubs/groundcover and four feet for trees (20.36.070(E)), grouping of plants with similar water needs into hydrozones (20.36.070(D)(4)), and prohibition on invasive species identified by the California Invasive Plant Council or California Native Plant Society within fifty feet of a designated environmentally sensitive habitat area (20.36.070(D)(2)). Landscape plans must be prepared by a California-licensed landscape architect, licensed landscape contractor, certified nurseryman, project architect, or another professional the Community Development Department deems qualified (20.36.060(B)(2)), and the review authority can require a performance security equal to 100 percent of plant, irrigation, installation and maintenance costs before work begins (20.36.060(D)). Completion of the approved landscaping must be certified in writing to the Director by the plan's preparer (20.36.060(F)).