Upland, CA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Chapter 17.12 (Landscaping) of the Zoning Ordinance sets Upland's water-efficient landscape standards, and Section 17.12.050 (Water Efficient Design Criteria) is where native and natural landscaping gets its explicit protection: plans are directed to preserve "existing native species and natural areas," plant more low-water trees, shrubs and groundcover, and hold turf coverage to what the project's maximum annual applied water allowance permits, with warm-season turf "strongly encouraged" wherever grass is installed. This sits alongside Section 17.12.040's mandatory design standards, which apply to any project meeting the size thresholds in Section 17.12.020 (generally new landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more, or homeowner-installed residential projects of 5,000 square feet or more): plants must be grouped into hydrozones by water need, selected for the site's actual climate and soil, and large stretches of bare hardscape like decomposed granite or gravel are barred.

Section 17.12.070 adds that invasive species must be avoided near parks, buffers, greenbelts, water bodies and open space. Smaller residential jobs under 2,500 square feet are exempt from the water-budget calculation sections (17.12.030-050) but still fall under the general design criteria in Sections 17.12.070 and 17.12.080. The Development Services Director reviews and approves landscape and irrigation plans before construction permits issue; projects with other discretionary approvals submit conceptual plans through the design review process in Chapter 17.44. There is no outright ban on turf or mandate to plant only natives, Upland regulates through the water budget and design-criteria framework rather than a prescriptive native-plant list.