Perris, CA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Perris Municipal Code § 19.70.040(c)(3), (11)-(12)
- Native species status
- Preservation encouraged, not mandated
- Invasive species status
- Avoidance mandatory, § 19.70.040(c)(12)
- Reference guide
- Riverside County Guide to California Friendly Landscaping
- Species list source
- Western Riverside County MSHCP
Summary
Perris's landscape ordinance encourages preserving native species and natural areas in new and rehabilitated landscaping and requires invasive species to be avoided, under Municipal Code § 19.70.040(c)(3), (11) and (12). Plant selection must also fit the site's climate, soils and topography, giving native and climate-adapted plantings a built-in advantage in plan review.
Plants shall be selected appropriately based upon their adaptability to the climate, geologic and topographical conditions on the project site. ... Protection and preservation of native species and natural areas is encouraged. Invasive species of plants shall be avoided, especially near parks, buffers, greenbelts, water bodies, and open spaces because of their potential to cause harm in to environmentally sensitive areas.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13).
Full Breakdown
70, sets three related standards that favor native and regionally adapted plants over imported, high-maintenance species. Subsection (c)(3) requires that plants be selected appropriately based upon their adaptability to the climate, geologic and topographical conditions on the project site. Subsection (c)(11) states that protection and preservation of native species and natural areas is encouraged, without imposing a numeric native-plant percentage. 020. 040(c)(4), which in practice groups low-water native plants together on their own irrigation valve rather than mixing them with thirstier ornamentals. 040(c)(1) that plan reviewers use to check a proposed palette's water demand.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate penalty tied to skipping native plants, since (c)(11) is written as an encouragement rather than a mandate, but a planting plan that ignores the mandatory invasive-species avoidance in (c)(12) or the climate-adaptability standard in (c)(3) can be rejected at plan check under § 19.70.040(a)(1), and no building permit issues until development services approves the plans. Once installed, § 19.70.050(c) allows warnings, correction notices, citations and fees for any violation of Chapter 19.70.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Perris require a minimum percentage of native plants?
What's the difference between the native-plant rule and the invasive-species rule?
Where do I find which plants count as native or invasive for Perris review?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Perris
California rules heatmap·Compare Perris to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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How other cities in Riverside County handle native plants.