Invasive Plant Rules in Iowa (2026)
10 rules on the books across Iowa, 8 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Prohibited Species
Plants that are banned or regulated in your area, including Japanese knotweed, kudzu, purple loosestrife, and other species that threaten native ecosystems.
Des Moines
Heavy RestrictionsDes Moines prohibits growing noxious weeds, defined under Iowa Code § 317.1A, with no exception for gardens or native…
Read full rule →Iowa City
Heavy RestrictionsIn Iowa City's regulated wetlands and required natural buffers, City Code section 14-5I-6(F)(5) bars planting any…
Read full rule →Council Bluffs
Significant RestrictionsIn the City of Council Bluffs, more than a dozen tree species, including Black Locust, Box Elder, Cottonwood, all…
Read full rule →Polk County
Significant RestrictionsPolk County's landscaping rules flatly bar species known to be invasive in Iowa from any required bufferyard or site…
Read full rule →Ames
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Ames, Iowa, the Public Nuisances chapter of the municipal code declares noxious weeds, classified under…
Read full rule →Sioux City
Some RestrictionsSioux City bans noxious or invasive species from counting toward required landscaping, tying the ban to Iowa's noxious…
Read full rule →Front Yard Gardens
Whether your city allows vegetable gardens, wildflower meadows, or native plant landscapes in the front yard, including any height limits or appearance standards.
Ankeny
Light RestrictionsIn the City of Ankeny, Iowa, fruit, vegetable, and flower gardens are exempt from the City's 12-inch vegetation height…
Read full rule →Cedar Rapids
Few RestrictionsCedar Rapids' weed ordinance caps unmanaged vegetation at one foot in developed areas, but Section 21.13(f) exempts…
Read full rule →Tree-of-Heaven Removal
Rules requiring removal of Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven), the invasive species that hosts spotted lanternfly, including state programs and city-level mandates.
Council Bluffs
Significant RestrictionsIn the City of Council Bluffs, Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is one of more than twenty species barred from…
Read full rule →Polk County
Light RestrictionsUnincorporated Polk County's zoning ordinance excludes tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) from the approved plant…
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