The City does not mandate native plants by species list, but SMC § 19.40.060 (Landscape standards) and SMC Ch. 14.32 require drought-tolerant plantings in conformance with the city's low-water-use landscaping ordinance, and prohibit turf in commercial landscapes except in active play areas.
Under SMC § 19.40.060 (Landscape standards), all new and rehabilitated landscaping subject to design review must be designed for water efficiency in conformance with SMC Ch. 14.32 (Water-Efficient Landscaping). Commercial landscaping 'must be drought tolerant consistent with the city's low-water use landscaping ordinance, with lawn prohibited unless part of a play area.' The MWELO-aligned Ch. 14.32 incentivizes California-native, climate-appropriate species through plant water-use coefficients (low / medium / high) drawn from the Water Use Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) database — plants in the 'low' category (mostly natives and Mediterranean climate plants) receive the most generous MAWA allocation. There is no city-mandated native-only list, and homeowners may plant any non-invasive species, but development projects benefit substantially in plan-check by selecting WUCOLS 'low' / native species. SMC § 12.08 (Tree Ordinance) gives preference to retention of native oaks and other significant trees on development sites.
Failure to meet the Ch. 14.32 plant-water-use limits in a landscape design plan results in plan-check denial; certificates of occupancy/completion are withheld until corrected. Planting invasive species is not separately fined by the City, but the Sonoma-Marin Weed Management Area and County may pursue removal of state-listed noxious weeds under Food & Agricultural Code § 5004.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Sonoma, CA
Public parks in the City of Sonoma have set operating hours under Sonoma Municipal Code §9.12.050. Plaza Park and Depot Park are operated by Sonoma County Re...
Sonoma, CA
The City of Sonoma does not have a stand-alone juvenile curfew ordinance in its municipal code. Minors are still subject to California Education Code §48264 ...
Sonoma, CA
The City of Sonoma does not operate a centralized 'no-knock' registry, but a clearly posted 'No Solicitors' or 'No Trespassing' sign at the entrance of priva...
Sonoma, CA
Door-to-door commercial solicitors and peddlers in the City of Sonoma must hold a City business license under SMC Title 5 (§5.04). Non-commercial canvassing ...
Sonoma, CA
Sidewalk vending is legal statewide under the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946, Cal. Gov. Code §§51036–51039). California cities may not ban sidewalk vendin...
Sonoma, CA
Mobile food vendors in Sonoma may operate on private property with the owner's consent and in compliance with zoning, and on public sidewalks subject to the ...
See how Sonoma's native plants rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.