No specific Louisiana law prohibits chopping down a cactus or imposes jail time for it, unlike Arizona’s strict protections for saguaro cacti that can lead to up to 25 years in prison. Louisiana’s property laws focus on trees, bushes, and plants via civil code articles regulating boundary encroachments and neighbor disputes.​
Tree and Plant Regulations
Landowners can demand neighbors trim overhanging branches or roots from trees, bushes, or plants, with the neighbor covering costs unless it doesn’t interfere with property use. Boundary plants are presumed common, allowing adjoining owners to request removal at their own expense if enjoyment is hindered.​
Timber Theft Penalties
Stealing timber valued over $25,000 carries up to 10 years in prison, while less than that risks up to 5 years; this targets commercial wood, not cacti. The timber trespass statute enables punitive damages for unauthorized cutting or destruction of trees, emphasizing merchantable timber over ornamental plants.​
Other Odd Property Laws
Driving nails longer than half an inch into another’s tree constitutes criminal mischief. No statewide protections exist for private trees like cacti, though local ordinances may cover live oaks, and public cypress harvesting is banned.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.lawinfo.com/resources/criminal-defense/arizona/)
[2](https://www.reddit.com/r/bestoflegaladvice/comments/6vq1q6/til_cutting_down_a_saguaro_cactus_is_a_felony/)
[3](https://law.justia.com/codes/louisiana/civil-code/article-688/)
[4](https://lcco.law.lsu.edu/?uid=29&ver=en)
[5](https://law.justia.com/codes/louisiana/civil-code/article-687/)
