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Washington, DC Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

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

Key Facts

Governing standard
11 DCMR-C § 600-606, Green Area Ratio
Native plant test
USFWS Chesapeake Bay guide or 2 references
Invasive bar
USFWS Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic list
Plan preparer
Certified Landscape Expert required
Submission point
GAR score sheet at building permit application
Origin rulemaking
Order No. 08-06A, 63 DCR 2447 (3/4/2016)

Summary

Under D.C.'s Green Area Ratio (GAR) rules, developers get landscape credit for native plants only if the species is listed in a federal native-plant guide or backed by two published references, and only if it is not on the region's invasive-species list.

603.9 Native plant species shall meet the following conditions: (a) The plants are listed in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Native Plants for Wildlife Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed guide; or (b) The applicant provides two (2) references in current publications showing that the plant is native to the region. ... 603.12 Plant species shall not be listed on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's list of Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas or other lists acceptable to the reviewing agency.

View official code

Full Breakdown

's environmental site-design standard: new construction and major additions in most zones must meet a minimum ratio of weighted landscape value to lot area, calculated under § 602. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 'Native Plants for Wildlife Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed' guide, or the applicant must submit two references from current publications establishing the plant is native to the region. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's list of Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, or on any other invasive list acceptable to the reviewing agency (the Department of Buildings, formerly DCRA, checks this at permit review).

2 as a District-licensed landscape architect, an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist, a Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturist, or a Landscape Contractors Association MD-DC-VA Landscape Industry Certified Technician. The GAR standard itself traces to Final Rulemaking & Order No. 08-06A, published at 63 DCR 2447 (March 4, 2016). 9's sourcing test.

Violations & Fines

A GAR score sheet or landscape plan that claims native-plant credit for a species that fails both prongs of § 603.9(a)-(b), or that includes a species barred under § 603.12's invasive list, does not satisfy the GAR minimum. That deficiency is enforced the same way any GAR shortfall is: the Department of Buildings can reject the permit application or the as-built landscape plan at final inspection, forcing the applicant to substitute compliant plantings or other GAR-eligible elements before certificate of occupancy issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does D.C. require native plants in every yard?
No. The native-plant rule is a Green Area Ratio credit condition that applies when a covered building permit project is trying to meet its GAR score, not a blanket landscaping mandate for every lot in the District. Projects not subject to GAR review can plant whatever they choose.
How do I prove a plant qualifies as native under GAR?
Section 603.9 accepts two paths: the species is listed in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Chesapeake Bay Watershed native-plant guide, or you submit two current published references showing the plant is native to the region. Either path must be documented on the landscape plan submitted with the permit application.
Can an invasive species still count toward GAR?
No. Section 603.12 bars credit for any plant on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas list, or on any other invasive list the reviewing agency accepts, regardless of whether it otherwise meets the native-plant test.

Sources & Official References

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