Roswell, GA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt land
- Designated natural areas, buffers, setbacks
- Pasture minimum
- 1 acre or larger
- Requirement
- Retained in a natural state
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 8.8.3(a)(3)
Summary
Roswell excuses designated natural areas, undisturbed buffers, and pastures of an acre or more from its weed-and-undergrowth nuisance rule, letting owners keep land in a natural state.
This provision shall not apply to natural areas or landscape areas that are to be retained in a natural state and designated as such on building plans or approved site plans or to natural areas and pastures which have not been previously manicured or developed and are to be retained in a natural state. Natural areas ... may typically include areas within designated setbacks, undisturbed buffers, stream corridors, landscape islands or corridors within submitted building plans or any area as determined and approved by the city landscape architect.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 17 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
Roswell's weed-nuisance rule doesn't reach every unmown yard. The Code of Ordinances carves out natural areas and landscape areas designated to stay in a natural state on approved building or site plans, plus natural areas and pastures that haven't been previously manicured or developed. Those can include areas within required setbacks, undisturbed buffers, stream corridors, and landscape islands approved by the city landscape architect. A pasture qualifies for the exemption only if it's at least one acre in size and its plants or grasses are kept in a natural state rather than becoming a nuisance.
Violations & Fines
Land claimed as a natural area that isn't designated on an approved plan, or a pasture under one acre, doesn't qualify: code enforcement can still cite it as an ordinary weed nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just stop mowing my whole yard to qualify?
Does a natural area need approval to qualify?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roswell
Compare Roswell to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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Native Plants in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle native plants.