Whittier, CA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

The City of Whittier encourages, but does not require, native landscaping. Whittier's Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines (Municipal Code Chapter 18.92) state that drought-tolerant and native plants should be a priority in residential landscape design - guidance rather than a strict mandate. Whittier does not have a separate stand-alone water-efficient landscape chapter; instead, water-efficient planting for new development and major landscape rehabilitation is governed by California's statewide Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO, California Code of Regulations Title 23). MWELO applies to new construction projects with 500 square feet or more of landscape area and to rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more that are tied to a permit; all California local agencies must enforce MWELO or a local ordinance at least as effective. MWELO's standards effectively push designs toward low-water, climate-appropriate, and native plant palettes, limited turf areas, mulch, and efficient irrigation. For voluntary conversions, the Metropolitan Water District's SoCal Water$mart turf-replacement program (which serves the Whittier area) pays a per-square-foot rebate for replacing turf with drought-tolerant plants and requires at least three plants per 100 square feet in the project area, encouraging California-friendly and native species. Residents who want to plant California natives in parkways still need a tree/planting permit from the City under Chapter 12.40 for work in the public right-of-way.