Sedona, AZ Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Baseline native ratio
- 50% of site plantings citywide
- OC District ratio
- 75% native, riparian/upland appropriate
- Source list
- City Administrative Manual
- Substitution cap
- Nonnative species can't replace native percentage
Summary
Sedona's Land Development Code makes half of every development site's plantings native species drawn from the city's Administrative Manual, rising to 75 percent in the Oak Creek Zoning District, so a landscape plan that falls short of the ratio cannot pass review.
1. Native Plant Species A minimum of 50 percent of the plants on a development site shall be native species identified in the Administrative Manual. ... 2. In the OC Zoning District i. A minimum of 75 percent of the plants on a development site shall be native species appropriate to the riparian or upland vegetation setting.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Initiative Ordinance 2026-01, approved by voters at the July 21, 2026 election).
Full Breakdown
C(1)b, Landscape Materials, sets Sedona's baseline native-planting rule: a minimum of 50 percent of the plants on a development site must be native species identified in the city's Administrative Manual. C(5). Inside the Oak Creek (OC) Zoning District, the bar rises to 75 percent native species appropriate to the riparian or upland vegetation setting, reflecting the sensitivity of land along Oak Creek, and orchard trees can substitute for up to 100 percent of the landscaping requirement in that district. 3, and any plant species outside both lists needs the Director's approval after the applicant shows low water usage, drought tolerance, and freeze resistance; even then a nonnative, nonadaptive species can never substitute for the required native-plant percentage. C(1)h.
Violations & Fines
A landscape plan that understates native-species content fails Director review and cannot support a Certificate of Occupancy; Section 5.6.C(4)b requires a passing site inspection, or a surety of 125 percent of the landscaping cost, before occupancy is cleared. Once installed, letting native plantings die without replacement within 30 days under Section 5.6.C(4)d.2 is a separate, ongoing violation of the Land Development Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of my landscaping has to be native?
Are single-family homeowners exempt from the native-plant rule?
Can I use desert plants that aren't technically native to Sedona?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sedona
Compare Sedona to another location·View the Arizona landscaping rules overview
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