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Shreveport, LA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Few Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Native-plant requirement
None
Approved plant list
UDC Section 10.12, Table 10-3
Off-list species
Executive Director may approve
Water conservation
Required design principle
Single-family homes
No landscape plan required

Summary

Shreveport does not require native landscaping. Required trees and plantings must come from the Tree and Plant Palette in UDC Section 10.12, and the MPC Executive Director may approve other species that are native or naturalized to the area.

Required trees and plantings must comply with the list of trees and plants that are suitable for local soil and climate conditions, as listed in Section 10.12. The Executive Director may approve plants not included in the list if the species are native or naturalized to the area

Source: Shreveport Code of Ordinances & Unified Development CodeView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 Update 1 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 20).

Full Breakdown

The Unified Development Code channels plant selection through Table 10-3, the Tree and Plant Palette codified at Section 10.12. That list is explicitly not comprehensive: other species may be used if plant-zone requirements match the temperature range of the Shreveport/Caddo area and the Executive Director approves. Section 10.2.B requires landscape design to apply water-conservation principles, including careful selection and design of turf areas, use of drought-tolerant plant material, and organic mulch around plant material. Many palette entries are Louisiana natives, but nothing in the code sets a native-species percentage. New single-family and two-family homes file no landscape plan at all, so homeowners choose freely.

Violations & Fines

Planting a species outside the palette without Executive Director approval is a landscape-plan compliance issue handled during MPC review or certificate-of-occupancy inspection rather than a citation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to plant Louisiana natives in my Shreveport yard?
No. The UDC sets no native-species quota. Homeowners at single-family and two-family properties are exempt from landscape plan review entirely.
Can a developer use a species missing from the plant palette?
Yes, with MPC Executive Director approval, where the species is native or naturalized to the area and withstands Shreveport's seasonal temperature swings.
Are drought-tolerant plants required?
Not required. Section 10.2.B lists drought-tolerant plant material as one water-conservation principle reviewed when a landscape plan is evaluated.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Shreveport

Parking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: RV & Boat ParkingSome RestrictionsTree TrimmingSome RestrictionsCompostingSome RestrictionsRainwater HarvestingFew RestrictionsWeed OrdinancesHeavy RestrictionsArtificial TurfSome RestrictionsTree Removal & Heritage TreesFew RestrictionsParking Rules: Preferential Parking DistrictsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Curb Color RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome Restrictions

All Shreveport rules

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