No, chopping down a cactus will not land you in jail in Maine. Maine has no specific laws protecting cacti or treating their removal as a crime on private property, unlike Arizona’s felony protections for native species like saguaros.​
Maine Property Rules
Maine regulates trees through timber harvesting laws and local ordinances, but cacti—non-native to the state’s climate—are treated as common yard plants with no removal restrictions. Invasive plant rules target aquatic species or weeds like Japanese knotweed, not cacti, and violations carry civil fines up to $2,500 only for transport on public roads.​
Comparison to Arizona
Arizona’s Native Plant Act makes unauthorized cactus destruction (especially saguaros over 4 feet) a felony with up to 25 years imprisonment, requiring permits, tags, and seals even on private land. Maine lacks equivalent protections, allowing free removal subject to general nuisance or HOA rules.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/3/00906.htm)
[2](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/arizona/Ariz-Admin-Code-SS-R3-3-1107)
[3](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/pimacounty/latest/pimacounty_az/0-0-0-22164)
[4](https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/38/title38sec419-c.html)
[5](https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethics/permit.shtml)
