Multnomah County, OR Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Where it applies
- SEC-h overlay parcels only
- Plant source
- Metro Native Plant List required
- Planting rate
- 1 tree + 1 shrub/100 sq ft
- Survival standard
- 80% alive at year 5
- Not covered
- Portland has its own code
Summary
In land mapped SEC-h for significant wildlife habitat, Multnomah County requires every mitigation planting to be a native species from the Metro Native Plant List. It is not a countywide landscaping rule, and Portland runs its own separate code.
(i) All trees, shrubs and ground cover shall be native plants selected from the Metro Native Plant List;
(ii) Native trees and shrubs shall be planted at a rate of one (1) tree and one (1) shrub for every 100 square feet of development/disturbance area. Bare ground shall be planted or seeded with perennial native greases or herbs.
(iii) All vegetation shall be planted within the mitigation area located on the same Lot of Record as the development and shall be located within the SECh Overlay or in an area contiguous to the SEC-h Overlay.
1. If the vegetation is planted in an area contiguous to the SEC-h Overlay, then the applicant shall preserve the contiguous area by executing a deed restriction, through a restrictive covenant.
(e) The native soils disturbed during development will be conserved on the property.
(S-1 2024)
5-46
Full Breakdown
Where development disturbs a Significant Environmental Concern - Habitat (SEC-h) overlay parcel in unincorporated Multnomah County, the mitigation plan under MCC 39.5540(D)(3)(d) requires that all trees, shrubs and ground cover planted in the mitigation area come from the Metro Native Plant List. Trees and shrubs go in at one tree and one shrub per 100 square feet of development or disturbance area, with minimum plant sizes, spacing and species-diversity rules also spelled out in the same subsection. This only reaches parcels the county has zoned SEC-h for habitat protection, mostly forested and stream-adjacent land in east county and along the Sandy and Columbia corridors, not ordinary residential lots or any property inside Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview or Wood Village.
Violations & Fines
Mitigation sites need a Yearly Report to Multnomah County Land Use Planning for five years; dead trees or shrubs must be replaced in kind so at least 80 percent of what was planted is still alive on the fifth anniversary of planting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to my yard in Portland?
Can I plant any species in a required mitigation area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Multnomah County
Compare Multnomah County to another location·View the Oregon landscaping rules overview
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