Anchorage, AK Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Fine
- $250 per violation
- Species banned
- 20 listed plants, weeds
- Citation
- AMC 15.90.010
- Exception
- Destruction, removal, or research transport allowed
Summary
Anchorage prohibits selling, giving, trading, or planting 20 listed invasive plants and noxious weeds, including knotweed, hawkweed, and sweet clover, citywide.
it is unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, expose for sale, give, trade, or transport for use in planting any propagative part of any of the following species:
1. Bird Cherry or Mayday Trees (Prunus padus).
2. Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea).
3. Itadori or Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica).
4. Giant Knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis).
5. Bohemian Knotweed (Fallopia x bohemica).
6. Himalayan Knotweed (Persicaria wallichii).
7. Siberian Peashrub (Caragana arborescens).
8. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana).
9. Spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe).
10. Meadow hawkweed (Hieracium caespitosum).
11. White sweet clover (Melilotus albus).
12. Yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis).
13. Bird vetch (Vicia cracca L. ssp. cracca).
14. Butter-and-eggs (Linaria vulgaris).
15. Rampion bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides).
16. Mouse ear hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella).
17. Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare).
18. Creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens).
19. All species listed in Alaska Administrative Code 11 AAC 34.020(a).
20. All plant species quarantined from entry to Alaska by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
B. Exceptions. The prohibited species in subsection A may be transferred or transported for purposes of destruction, removal from the municipality, or government approved scientific purposes.
C.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5010260; v11 updated 2026-09-01).
Full Breakdown
Anchorage Municipal Code 15.90.010 makes it unlawful to sell, offer for sale, expose for sale, give, trade, or transport for planting any propagative part of 20 named invasive plant and noxious weed species, among them Japanese, Giant, and Bohemian knotweed, reed canary grass, spotted knapweed, meadow and mouse-ear hawkweed, oxeye daisy, creeping buttercup, and both white and yellow sweet clover, plus any species on the state's quarantine list or Alaska Administrative Code 11 AAC 34.020(a). The ban applies to nurseries, garden centers, and landscapers as well as individual residents. Violators face a $250 fine per section 15.90.020, though the prohibited species can still be transferred for destruction, removal from the municipality, or approved scientific research.
Violations & Fines
Selling, offering, or planting any of the 20 listed invasive plant or noxious weed species draws a $250 fine per violation under AMC 15.90.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant Japanese knotweed in my Anchorage yard?
What happens to invasive weeds already growing on my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anchorage
How Anchorage compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Anchorage to another location·View the Alaska landscaping rules overview
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