Redlands, CA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 15.54.100(A)(1) Landscape Design Plan
- Priority method
- Protect native species, select local natives
- Climate tool referenced
- Sunset western climate zone system
- Applies to
- New landscapes ≥500 sq ft, rehabs ≥2,500 sq ft
- Current ordinance
- Ord. 2917, 2021
Summary
Redlands' water-efficient landscape ordinance directs landscape design plans toward protecting native species, selecting local native and climate-adapted plants, and choosing species suited to the site's climate, geology and fire exposure, as part of the plan qualifying projects must submit.
1. Plant Material: a. Any plant may be selected for the landscape, providing the estimated total water use in the landscape area does not exceed the maximum applied water allowance. Methods to achieve water efficiency shall include one or more of the following: (1) Protection and preservation of native species and natural vegetation; (2) Selection of water conserving plant, tree and turf species, especially local native plants; (3) Selection of plants based on local climate suitability, disease and pest resistance... c. Plants shall be selected and planted appropriately based upon their adaptability to the climatic, geologic, and topographical conditions of the project site.
Full Breakdown
54, the city's water-efficient landscape ordinance, and it requires a landscape design plan meeting specific criteria before a covered project can move forward. ' The same list calls for selecting plants based on local climate suitability, disease and pest resistance, and for drawing from local and regional landscape program plant lists and local fuel modification plan guidelines. c goes further, requiring that plants be 'selected and planted appropriately based upon their adaptability to the climatic, geologic, and topographical conditions of the project site,' and it directs designers to use the Sunset western climate zone system, which accounts for temperature, humidity, elevation, terrain and latitude in choosing climate-adapted plant material.
010(C) reinforces this, listing 'choosing local native plants, climate adapted non-natives and avoiding invasive plants' among the ways landscaping is meant to protect and create habitat. 020. The provision derives from Ordinance 2917 (2021), updating the 2009 ordinance codified as Ordinance 2724 section 1.
Violations & Fines
Landscape design plans are reviewed at the plan-check stage under section 15.54.050, and section 15.54.130 requires a certificate of completion before final inspection or occupancy, so a plan that fails to address native and climate-adapted plant selection as required by section 15.54.100 can be rejected or held at those checkpoints. Section 15.54.060 authorizes penalties for noncompliance with the chapter generally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Redlands require native plants in new landscaping?
What climate factors must a Redlands landscape design account for?
Which projects have to submit a landscape design plan addressing native plants?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redlands
California rules heatmap·Compare Redlands to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Native Plants in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle native plants.