Santa Ana's Upcoming Native Plant Ordinance

We have a substantial opportunity in Santa Ana to support our local wildlife, save tax-payer dollars, and clean our environment all at once!

Santa Ana City Council could propose a Native Plant Ordinance as soon as their July 21, 2026 meeting.

This is inspired by the recently adopted Encinitas' Native Plant Ordinance, which is science-backed and focuses on common-sense, low-cost, and high impact opportunities.

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A rendering of a corporate landscape in Santa Ana with existing standards compared to with the ordinance in place

Key Aspects of the Ordinance

The final language for the ordinance will be determined by the City Council. To ensure the success of this policy, we must stress the importance of these critical features of the ordinance:

Common Sense Exemptions

  • Completely exempts single-family homes, ADUs, and active recreational areas (i.e. sports fields, playgrounds, and golf courses).
  • Single-family homes remain opt-in using existing rebate programs.

Minimum Percent Requirement

  • 50% requirement for discretionary-permitted commercial, industrial, and multi-family developments to support design flexibility.
  • 100% for city-owned or public projects to maximize savings and impact.

Define "Native Plants"

  • Formally define native vegetation to ensure all city departments and contractors are operating under the same guidelines.
  • Utilize an existing plant database (CalScape) to avoid the city having to maintain this list.

Environmental Best Practices

  • Prioritize non-chemical weeding and pest treatments.
  • Require diverse planting mixes to support biodiversity.

How This Benefits Santa Ana

  • Saves Tax-Payer Dollars: Native landscapes use up to 83% less water and 68% less maintenance than traditional landscapes.
  • Supports Life: Reduce the needless use of chemicals, and require a diverse, beneficial planting palette which supports more life throughout the seasons.
  • Reduces Urban Heat Island Effect: Provide shade and cooling to make Santa Ana more comfortable.

How You Can Help

We need to be ready to show the City Council that Santa Ana residents care about our wallets, our environment, and our future.

Stay Informed

The ordinance may be proposed as early as July 21, but in case this changes, we recommend subscribing to our mailing list to stay informed.

Subscribe for updates on local native plant policies.
A rendering of a resident speaking in front of the Santa Ana City Council

Show Support In Person

Speaking during the City Council's public comments portion of the meeting is a great way to make your voice heard!

If you're interested in making a public comment, please subscribe to our mailing list to make sure this item is on the agenda for that session.

A rendering of a resident sending an email comment to the Santa Ana City Council

Mail in Comments

You're encouraged to write your own email from the heart, but life can be hectic. Below is a template you can use to submit for public comment. Please do so only when the ordinance is on the City Council's agenda. You can subscribe to our mailing list to be notified when this happens.

Send an email to our sitting council members:

Or submit through the City Council's website.

Subject: Support for a Santa Ana Native Plant Ordinance
Dear Mayor Amezcua and Santa Ana City Council Members,

My name is [Your Name] and I live in Ward [Ward Number]. I am writing to urge your strong support for the proposed native plant ordinance.

Santa Ana is a highly urbanized, densely populated city. We face severe habitat fragmentation. Our local pollinators, birds, and urban wildlife have been drastically impacted and are in sharp decline. A native plant mandate directly addresses our city's pressing environmental challenges and saves the city money while operationalizing the core values set in Santa Ana's General Plan.

We can transform parts of our city into functional ecological corridors by requiring large-scale new developments to utilize a significant percentage of Southern California native plants.

Furthermore, native plants drastically lower long-term landscape maintenance costs and water bills for the city and property owners once established—proving that environmental sustainability and fiscal responsibility can go hand-in-hand.

Following the successfully adopted, science-backed ordinance in Encinitas, CA, I ask the City to explore an ordinance that:
* Requires a minimum 50% native plant threshold for new developments that require a discretionary permit.
* Mandates 100% native plants for public and city-funded projects.
* Has common-sense exemptions, such as single-family homes, ADUs, community gardens and nurseries, cemeteries, and active recreational areas.
* Formally defines native vegetation using Calscape, the California Native Plant Society's native plant database, based on Santa Ana's distinct ecoregions.

With this ordinance, we can protect our environment and save money, without adding significant burden during the development process. Let's fulfill the bold promises of our General Plan and build a greener, more resilient, and more equitable Santa Ana. Thank you for your leadership and dedication to our community's future.

Sincerely,

[Your Name] [Your Address/Ward Number]

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