Arizona classifies unauthorized removal or destruction of certain native cacti (e.g., saguaro over certain sizes) as a felony under ARS § 3-904, with penalties up to 2.5 years prison for large specimens due to their cultural and ecological value.
Pennsylvania Rules
Pennsylvania lacks specific cactus-chopping laws for private yards; owners can generally remove plants on their own property absent local ordinances or protected status. Native Eastern prickly-pear (Opuntia humifusa) is rare and legally protected only on state forests or as a “species of special concern”—wild harvesting is banned under 17 Pa. Code § 21.115, but cultivated backyard cacti face no such statewide felony prohibition.
Yard Considerations
Check municipal zoning for nuisance rules or HOA covenants; noxious weed laws target invasives, not cacti. For wild or state land finds, permits are required to avoid fines.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/pennsylvania/17-Pa-Code-SS-21-115)
[2](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/plants-land-water/plant-industry/noxious-weeds-and-controlled-plants)||
[3](https://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/factsheet.aspx?=13446)
[4](https://extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/adams/news/opuntia-humifusa)|
[5](https://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/factsheets/13446.pdf)
