Invasive Plant Rules in New York (2026)
21 rules on the books across New York, 18 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Bamboo Restrictions
Rules about planting running bamboo near property lines, containment requirements, removal obligations, and fines for bamboo that spreads to neighboring properties.
Babylon
Heavy RestrictionsPlanting or growing running bamboo is banned Town of Babylon-wide unless it's fully contained in an approved planter or…
Read full rule →Brookhaven
Heavy RestrictionsBrookhaven Property Maintenance Code § 49-6 bans planting or installing running bamboo, listing eight prohibited genera…
Read full rule →Glen Cove
Heavy RestrictionsGlen Cove bans planting or growing bamboo anywhere in the City under City Code § 235-83(C), and property owners with…
Read full rule →Hempstead
Heavy RestrictionsThe Town of Hempstead outright prohibits planting, growing or maintaining bamboo on any improved or vacant lot…
Read full rule →North Hempstead
Heavy RestrictionsTown Code Chapter 67 bans planting or installing any new bamboo anywhere in North Hempstead, effective since the Town…
Read full rule →Greenburgh
Significant RestrictionsGreenburgh bans planting running bamboo anywhere in town and makes it unlawful to let existing bamboo spread onto a…
Read full rule →Huntington
Significant RestrictionsHuntington's Chapter 156A bans planting running bamboo anywhere in the Town and requires every bamboo owner to confine…
Read full rule →Mount Vernon
Significant RestrictionsMount Vernon bans planting running bamboo anywhere in the city and declares any running bamboo that spreads onto a…
Read full rule →Oyster Bay
Significant RestrictionsOyster Bay bans planting new running bamboo anywhere in town and requires any existing running bamboo to stay contained…
Read full rule →Yonkers
Significant RestrictionsYonkers outlaws planting running bamboo anywhere in the city and requires a $25 permit plus a confinement barrier for…
Read full rule →Smithtown
Some RestrictionsSmithtown bans bamboo within 10 feet of any property line, street, sidewalk or public right-of-way. The Property…
Read full rule →Prohibited Species
Plants that are banned or regulated in your area, including Japanese knotweed, kudzu, purple loosestrife, and other species that threaten native ecosystems.
Greenburgh
Heavy RestrictionsGreenburgh bars every owner, lessee and occupant of land in the unincorporated Town from installing any tree, shrub or…
Read full rule →Nassau County
Significant RestrictionsNassau County bans selling, transporting, propagating, or transplanting more than 80 listed invasive plant species, and…
Read full rule →Suffolk County
Significant RestrictionsSuffolk County prohibits selling, transporting, distributing or propagating any plant on the county's "Do Not Sell"…
Read full rule →Tompkins County
Significant RestrictionsTompkins County makes it unlawful to introduce, transplant, or transport aquatic invasive plants and animals, such as…
Read full rule →Albany
Some RestrictionsAlbany's zoning code bans any plant on the City's Prohibited Plant List, or on a state list of invasive or prohibited…
Read full rule →Clarkstown
Some RestrictionsClarkstown's tree law bars invasive species like the Norway maple from being used as replacement trees: any tree…
Read full rule →Mount Vernon
Some RestrictionsMount Vernon's tree ordinance defines invasive species and invasive vines by reference to the state DEC's…
Read full rule →New York
Some RestrictionsNYC's parks department cannot plant a species that New York State has flagged as invasive or noxious. Administrative…
Read full rule →Westchester County
Some RestrictionsExecutive Order No. 10 of 2018 bars any plant species listed as Prohibited or Regulated under New York's invasive…
Read full rule →Yonkers
Light RestrictionsYonkers does not ban invasive plants citywide, but its Zoning Ordinance forbids planting them in specific development…
Read full rule →