The city encourages the use of native and alternative landscapes that use native plants over turf grass. Native plants require less fertilizers and pesticides and promote native ecosystems where bees and other pollinators can thrive. Learn more about pollinator-friendly lawns.

View the city's vegetation maintenance ordinance to learn more about the rules surrounding vegetation maintenance.

Learn more about the city’s Pollinate the Park initiative.

 Buckthorn is an invasive, non-native plant species that threatens Minnesota's natural resources.

St. Louis Park residents can reserve a weed wrench for a two-week period to facilitate the removal of buckthorn up to 1 inch in diameter. To reserve a wrench, please contact Leah Johnson at 952.924.2562 or ljohnson@stlouisparkmn.gov.

Cut buckthorn can be bundled for weekly yard waste pickup or brought to the residential brush drop-off site located at 2501 Edgewood Ave. S. (open April – November).

City arborists and tree inspectors are available to answer your questions about tree care, tree diseases, landscaping or other concerns related to your yard. They can also provide recommendations for tree and plant species that are suitable for your home or business site. See the list of recommended trees for St. Louis Park.

To request a free natural resource consultation, contact the natural resources division at 952.924.2562 or naturalresources@stlouisparkmn.gov.

Two-lined chestnut borer is a native insect that attacks weakened or stressed oak trees. This insect is not a threat to healthy oak trees. Oaks that are weakened due to drought, construction activities or disease are susceptible to the two-lined chestnut borer. Infested trees typically die two to three years after infestation.

View the oak tree management and care page to learn more about keeping oaks healthy.

If you feel your tree or a nearby oak tree is infested with two-lined chestnut borer, contact the natural resources division or a city licensed tree care company for management options.

Bur oak blight (BOB) is a fungal leaf disease that affects bur oak trees, with symptoms similar to oak wilt disease. Brown leaves appear in the tree’s crown and falloff during the latter half of the growing season, typically mid- to late-July. BOB tends to be most prevalent during growing seasons that start out cool and wet. It is rare that BOB would kill an oak tree, but successive years of infection can result in tree decline.

For management options, contact a city-licensed tree service or the St. Louis Park Natural Resources Division at naturalresources@stlouisparkmn.gov.

If you have a healthy elm tree or an oak tree with early symptoms oak wilt, you may wish to have your tree injected with a fungicide that prevents Dutch elm disease or halts oak wilt disease. The City of St. Louis Park will reimburse you for a portion of the cost of a qualifying injection. Visit the tree treatment and removal page for more information about discounted tree treatment options. For questions or concerns about tree injections, contact the city's natural resources division at 952.924.2562 or naturalresources@stlouisparkmn.gov.

Dutch elm disease. Dutch elm disease is caused by an invasive fungus and affects all elms native to Minnesota. Symptoms include wilting of one or more of the upper branches (leaves on these branches first turn yellow, then brown, wilt and eventually fall off) and brown staining of the wood immediately under the bark (in healthy trees, the sapwood is milky white). This disease can be managed with preventive fungicide treatments every three years. Arbotect 20-S is the most effective fungicide treatment against DED.

Oak wilt disease. Oak wilt disease is caused by an invasive fungus. A tree infected with oak wilt will have leaf discoloration, which begins at the outer edge of the leaf and progresses inward. Leaves turn a dull green, bronze or tan and finally turn brown and shrivel. Oak wilt is transmitted from tree to tree primarily by sap-feeding beetles attracted to freshly wounded oak trees. These beetles are typically active April through October. Don’t prune oak trees during this time to avoid spreading infection. Oak wilt is also transmitted through root grafts of other oak trees of the same species. For more information, visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

If you feel your tree or a nearby oak tree is infected with this disease, contact the natural resources division or a city-licensed tree care company for management options.

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive beetle that kills all untreated ash trees (except mountain ash). Trees heavily infested with EAB can become brittle quickly and must be removed as soon as possible. Delayed removals may increase removal costs.

Discounts are available to residents for treatment. The city also has a program to assist income-qualified residents with ash tree removal and treatment costs.

View the emerald ash borer page to learn more about EAB treatment options and assistance programs

Weeds and grass must be trimmed. The city will cite property owners with grass, weeds or rank vegetation over 8 inches in height. If the property owner does not take appropriate action, the city will have the grass/weeds cut at the property owner's expense. See city code (Chapter 34 – vegetation ordinance) for more information.

If you have a complaint about uncut grass or weeds, call 952.924.2562.

The University of Minnesota Extension Service provides access to master gardeners who can answer questions about gardening, yard care, soil testing, composting, insects and animal predation. There is no charge for this service. Visit University of Minnesota's Ask a Master Gardener page or call 612.301.7590 for more information. 

We hope you’ll consider adopting a park or garden near you! Monitor one as a family, community group, neighborhood, church or business. It’s a great way to get outdoors and take pride in the community you live in. We ask that you visit the park twice a month through September to pick up litter and check for damage. (Assignments can be arranged around summer vacation schedules.)

For more information, contact Laura Smith at 952.928.2847 or lsmith@stlouisparkmn.gov.

The City of St. Louis Park does not prune around power lines; this is the responsibility of Xcel Energy. Xcel Energy will contract line clearance (tree pruning from pole to pole) in parts of St. Louis Park to Asplundh Tree Expert Company. Xcel Energy will notify impacted property owners. If you have questions, call Xcel Energy at 1.800.895.4999.

If your service line (the power line running from an Xcel power pole to your home) is being obstructed by tree branches, contact a city-licensed tree service. Never prune around power lines yourself; leave it to a professional! View a list of licensed tree service providers in St. Louis Park.

Routine pruning of trees on public boulevards (the right of way) is conducted by city contractors, typically during the dormant months of January – March. The city uses a tree trimming rotational schedule to prune a portion of the city’s boulevard trees each year.

Pruning trees on private property is the responsibility of individual property owners. Property owners may only use tree services licensed by the City of St. Louis Park. The city licenses tree contractors to ensure they have adequate insurance and qualifications to perform safe and professional tree work. Pruning of trees is strongly recommended during tree dormancy (November – March). View a list of licensed tree service providers under the tree care section.

A watershed is an area of land from which water drains to one body of water. This body of water could be a wetland, pond, lake or creek located outside your back door. St. Louis Park residents live in either of two watersheds. View the watershed district map to find out which watershed you live in.

• Minnehaha Creek watershed map
• Bassett Creek watershed map