Mesa, AZ Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Preferred-List Minimum
- 50% of plant material
- Recommended Preferred Share
- 90%
- Turf
- Discouraged
- Thorny Plant Setback
- 7 feet from sidewalks
- Buffer Shrubs Required
- Minimum 3 per thorny plant
Summary
Mesa requires common area, parkway, and median landscaping inside the Desert Uplands Area to draw at least 50% of its plant material from the Preferred Desert Uplands Plant List, with the remainder from the Acceptable list: turf is discouraged, and developers are encouraged to push the Preferred share to 90%.
3.Plant Material. A minimum of 50% of the plant material used for common area, parkway, and median landscaping shall be selected from the Preferred Desert Uplands Plant List, and the remainder selected from the Acceptable Desert Uplands Plant list. Developers are encouraged to select at least 90% of the plant material used for common area, parkway, and median landscaping from the Preferred Desert Uplands Plant List.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
Mesa City Code Title 9, Chapter 6, Section 9-6-6(I), Native Plant Preservation, sets the planting rules for common area, parkway, and median landscaping within the City's Desert Uplands Area subdivisions. 5, with the remaining share selected from the Acceptable Desert Uplands Plant List; the Code goes further and encourages developers to hit at least 90% Preferred-list material. Subsection (I)(4) discourages the use of turf to retain the desert character and conserve water. Subsection (I)(6) allows retained or transplanted cactus and ocotillo to substitute for up to 50% of the trees required in the street right-of-way, and Subsection (I)(7) requires thorny plants, cactus, and ocotillo used near medians and walkways to keep a seven-foot setback from sidewalks and roadways, plus a minimum of three buffer shrubs facing pedestrians and traffic.
Subsection (I)(2) ties revegetated landscaping in common areas to the same Preferred-list requirement, so a parkway or median planting plan that leans on the Acceptable or Prohibited categories beyond the 50% cap does not meet the Chapter's planting standard.
Violations & Fines
Section 9-6-6(I) sits inside Chapter 9-6's land-division requirements, so common area, parkway, or median landscaping that fails the 50%-Preferred-plant threshold violates the Chapter under Section 9-6-8(A)(2), a Class 1 misdemeanor, unless it is instead pursued as the civil code offense under Section 9-6-8(B), which is heard by a Hearing Officer and appealable within 10 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of parkway landscaping must be native Sonoran plants in Mesa's Desert Uplands Area?
Can a developer use turf grass in a Mesa parkway median?
How close can cactus be planted to a Mesa sidewalk?
Can cactus substitute for required street trees in Mesa?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mesa
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle parkway planting.