Scranton, PA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Scranton takes a voluntary, incentive-based approach to native-plant landscaping. There is no Scranton ordinance mandating native species on private residential property. Native and pollinator planting is promoted through three avenues. First, the Scranton Shade Tree Commission (https://scrantonpa.gov/your-government/bca/shade-tree-commission/) recommends native species for street-tree replacement and supports City Forester-led planting events. Second, the Pennsylvania DCNR Urban and Community Forestry program (formerly TreeVitalize) (https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/programs-and-services/community-outreach-and-development/urban-and-community-forestry) administers community grants for tree planning, planting, and care; the City was awarded $7,500 in site-prep funding and $30,000 to plant 250 bare-root trees through TreePennsylvania's PA Environmental Justice Forests program (https://treepennsylvania.org/pas-environmental-justice-forests/). Third, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Pollinator Protection Plan and DCNR's Wild Resource Conservation Program promote native pollinator habitat statewide. The Chapter 360 (Property Maintenance) Article II 8-inch weed standard is the main constraint, but the Code expressly exempts 'cultivated flowers, gardens, trees, and shrubs,' giving documented native-garden and pollinator-habitat plantings clear cover so long as they are maintained. Outside city limits in Lackawanna County, the Pennsylvania Right to Farm Act (3 P.S. § 951-957) protects qualifying agricultural operations from nuisance suits and overreaching local zoning if the operation has been in lawful operation for one year or more and lacks a direct adverse effect on public health and safety. The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Lackawanna County and the Lackawanna County Conservation District (https://www.lccd.org/) provide native-plant technical guidance.