Farmington Hills, MI Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Farmington Hills' Chapter 17 (Nuisances), Article II treats noxious vegetation as a nuisance subject to abatement when located on land within 100 feet of a platted subdivision, single-family residential condominium, or major road. The 8-inch height standard is enforced from June 1 onward, with City-cut and cost-recovery under Section 17-29. Above this, Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) Part 413 — MCL 324.41301 et seq. — establishes the statewide framework for Prohibited and Restricted invasive species. Designations are made by orders of the Michigan Commission of Agriculture & Rural Development. The May 2026 vote added callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) to Michigan's Prohibited and Restricted Plant lists, making it unlawful to import, sell, possess, or move these species. Other Michigan invasive plants on the state lists include garlic mustard, autumn olive, oriental bittersweet, phragmites (non-native), purple loosestrife, and Japanese knotweed. The Michigan Invasive Species Program — jointly administered by EGLE, MDNR, and MDARD — coordinates enforcement. Farmington Hills' position in the Rouge River watershed gives invasive-plant control elevated importance: the Alliance of Rouge Communities watershed management plan identifies invasive vegetation as a riparian-corridor water-quality concern, and Friends of the Rouge runs volunteer invasive-removal events. Locally, Chapter 17 enforcement applies the same noxious-vegetation logic regardless of whether a plant is on the state Prohibited / Restricted list — overgrowth in the 100-foot trigger zones is abatable as a nuisance.