An HOA's impossible request left an Arizona homeowner completely confused.
A Redditor unsure about their dad's HOA restrictions asked r/phoenix for some environmental advice.
"My dad lives in a neighborhood with an HOA and is looking to replace the palm trees … in his front yard with a native tree," they wrote. "The HOA is against anything that drops seeds or flowers."
The Redditor concludes by asking, "Does anyone have knowledge about native plant protections in Arizona or some links to information about what the HOA can or can't require in regards to a native landscape?"
HOAs typically have strict rules and regulations for homeowners' yards, from the types of trees they can grow to when they can water their lawns. Many homeowners struggle with rewilding their yard in an HOA since native plants can have a weedy, wild look.
In some states, like California, Texas, and Maryland, HOAs can't stop homeowners from growing native plants, but unfortunately for OP, Arizona isn't one of them, and this HOA can place restrictions on what's allowed.
HOAs are notorious for preventing homeowners from making sustainable, money-saving changes to their homes and yards. Native plant lawns require far less maintenance than their traditional grass counterparts — you'll spend significantly less time and money on mowing, watering, and weeding. While monoculture grass lawns are ecological dead zones, native plant lawns and gardens promote biodiversity, support pollinators, provide shelter for local wildlife, and look absolutely stunning, too.
If you live in an HOA and want to introduce native plants into your yard, ask the board for the list of approved plants. You could even take it a step further — join the HOA board and help change your community's bylaws.
Commenters suggested the OP reach out to their HOA board for their Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs).
"Reach out to the HOA and ask for the CC&Rs," one user said. "It will have specifics on what is and is not allowed. If it's vague, then I'd reach out to the board to clarify. … Best of luck!"
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Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?
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Yes 💯 "I don't think a tree exists that DOESN'T drop some kind of leaf/flower/pod. I would clarify with the HOA on if there are specific species they won't allow or if they truly expect you to find a tree that produces 0 litter," another Redditor wrote.
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