No, chopping down a cactus in your Maine yard is not illegal under state law. Unlike Arizona’s strict protections for native saguaro and other cacti as felonies, Maine lacks similar statutes for cacti, which are non-native and uncommon in its climate.​
Property Owner Rights
Homeowners can generally remove plants on their private property without restriction, absent local ordinances or invasive species rules. Cacti do not appear on Maine’s prohibited invasive plant lists, which target species like Norway maple or glossy buckthorn instead.​
Local Variations
Check municipal bylaws or homeowners’ associations for landscaping rules, as some towns regulate vegetation removal to preserve aesthetics or native habitats. No statewide felony or misdemeanor applies to backyard cacti.​
Protected Exceptions
Rules focus on invasives, aquatics, or public lands; private yard cacti (e.g., ornamental prickly pear) face no bans. Psychoactive varieties like peyote have federal scrutiny but no Maine-specific cactus destruction law.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/horticulture/documents/InvasivePlantListHandoutUpdated2024.pdf)
[2](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1253503232075082/posts/2007452713346793/)1
[3](https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/38/title38sec419-c.html)
[4](https://www.reddit.com/r/peyote/comments/1f2wzqj/does_anyone_know_the_legality_of_growing_peyotes/)
[5](https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/laws/index.shtml)
