Reading, PA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Reading enforces weed and rank-vegetation control through the same Property Maintenance Code framework that handles grass-height violations, with Property and Codes Enforcement issuing notice-and-abate citations on confirmed violations and proceeding to City-performed cleanup with municipal lien (53 P.S. §7101+) if uncorrected. Pennsylvania state law layers regulatory authority through the Noxious Weed Law (originally codified at 3 Pa.C.S. §255, with the modern administration handled by the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Committee under the PA Department of Agriculture per Act 46 of 2017). The Committee maintains a tiered statewide list: Class A noxious weeds (targeted for eradication), Class B (containment), and watch-list species. Recognized priority targets in southeastern PA include Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima — the spotted lanternfly host), mile-a-minute vine, and giant hogweed. The Berks County Conservation District and PA DCNR coordinate removal on conservation lands. Allergenic plants such as poison ivy and ragweed adjacent to public sidewalks may be cited as health hazards under the Reading City Code. Pesticide application by anyone other than the property owner on their own property requires a PA Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator License under 3 Pa.C.S. §6101 et seq. (Pennsylvania Pesticide Control Act of 1973).