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Series 300 — ADDITIONAL USE AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS›Article 303 — LANDSCAPING

303.05: GENERAL LANDSCAPING STANDARDS:

Porterville Zoning Code · 2026-07 edition · updated 2026-07-09 · Porterville

A. Materials:

  1. General. Landscaping shall consist of a combination of ground covers, shrubs, vines, and trees. Landscaped areas may include paved or graveled surfaces. Plant materials shall be selected from those species and varieties known to thrive in the Porterville climate and/or listed in Sunset’s Western Garden Book, Region No. 9. Recirculating water shall be used for decorative water features.

  2. Ground Cover Materials. Ground cover shall be of living organic plant material. Ground cover may include grasses. The exclusive or majority use of non-plant materials such as gravel, colored rock, cinder, bark, and similar materials may not be used to meet the minimum planting area requirements required by this chapter. Mulch is not a substitute for ground cover plants.

  3. Turf Allowance/Drought-Tolerant Materials. The maximum amount of lawn in required landscape areas shall be twenty-five (25) percent except for turf areas that comprise an essential component of a project (e.g., golf courses or playing fields), which are exempt from this limit. The installation of turf on slopes greater than twenty-five (25) percent is prohibited. The use of drought-tolerant or artificial turf plant materials is preferred in these applications to conserve the City’s water resources.

  4. Mulch. A minimum three (3) inch layer of mulch shall be applied on all exposed soil surfaces of planting areas except in turf areas, creeping or rooting ground covers or other special planting situations where mulch is not recommended. Stabilizing mulching products shall be used on slopes.

  5. Size and Spacing. Plant materials shall be grouped in hydrozones in accordance with their respective water, cultural (soil, climate, sun and light) and maintenance needs. Plants shall be of the following size and spacing at the time of installation:

a. Ground Covers. Areas planted in ground cover plants other than grass seed or sod shall be planted at a rate of one (1) per twelve (12) inches on center.

b. Shrubs. Shrubs shall be a minimum size of one (1) gallon. When planted to serve as a hedge or screen, shrubs shall be planted with two (2) to four (4) feet of spacing, depending on the plant species.

c. Trees. Trees shall be a minimum of fifteen (15) gallons in size with a one (1) inch diameter at breast height (dbh) spaced at thirty-five (35) feet on center. Newly planted trees shall be supported with stakes or guywires.

B. Dimension of Landscaped Areas. No landscaped area smaller than three (3) feet in any horizontal dimension shall count toward required landscaping.

C. Drivers’ Visibility. Trees and shrubs shall be planted and maintained so that at maturity they do not interfere with traffic safety sight areas, or public safety. Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, landscaping must comply with Section 300.16, Visibility at Intersections and Driveways. (Ord. 1866, 11-19-2019)

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▸ Contents — Porterville Zoning Code
Porterville Zoning Code
  1. Series 100 — INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS
  2. Series 200 — BASE DISTRICTS
  3. ▸ Series 300 — ADDITIONAL USE AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS
    Overview
    1. Article 300 — GENERAL SITE REGULATIONS
    2. Article 301 — STANDARDS FOR SPECIFIC USES AND ACTIVITIES
    3. Article 302 — AFFORDABLE HOUSING DENSITY BONUS AND OTHER INCEN…
    4. ▸ Article 303 — LANDSCAPING
      Overview
      1. 303.01: PURPOSE:
      2. 303.02: APPLICABILITY:
      3. 303.03: LANDSCAPE DESIGN PRINCIPLES:
      4. 303.04: AREAS TO BE LANDSCAPED:
      5. 303.05: GENERAL LANDSCAPING STANDARDS:
      6. 303.06: INSTALLATION AND COMPLETION:
    5. Article 304 — ON SITE PARKING AND LOADING
    6. Article 305 — SIGNS
    7. Article 306 — PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
    8. Article 307 — NONCONFORMING USES, STRUCTURES, AND LOTS
  4. Series 400 — LAND DIVISIONS
  5. Series 500 — OVERLAY DISTRICTS
  6. Series 600 — ADMINISTRATION AND PERMITS
  7. Series 700 — GENERAL TERMS

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