Saint Paul, MN Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

In 2016, the City of Saint Paul adopted a Pollinator Resolution committing to pollinator-friendly practices on city property, including reducing neonicotinoid pesticide use and promoting beneficial plants such as dandelions, clovers, vervain, and milkweed species. The Pollination Station program, coordinated by Saint Paul Natural Resources, maintains a network of native wildflower pocket gardens on public land at sites with youth programming. Under Minnesota Statute 561.19, effective statewide, cities must allow property owners to install and maintain managed natural landscapes defined as planned, intentional, and maintained plantings of native or nonnative grasses, wildflowers, forbs, ferns, and shrubs. These plantings are exempt from local grass height ordinances including Saint Paul Chapter 45 (8-inch limit), provided the landscape is clearly managed and intentional rather than neglected. The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources administers the Lawns to Legumes program, which provides reimbursements of up to $350 (or $750 in priority areas) for residents who establish pollinator-friendly plantings. Boulevard plantings in Saint Paul must still comply with sight-line requirements and cannot obstruct visibility at intersections and driveways. The Minnesota DNR also provides guidance and native plant lists for residential landscaping.