No, chopping down a cactus won’t land you in jail under Oregon property laws—that’s a well-known rule from Arizona, not Oregon. Oregon does protect certain native plants on public lands, but private property owners generally face no such jail risk for cacti, which aren’t prominent there anyway.
Actual Oregon Plant Protections
Oregon law safeguards specific wildflowers like mariposa lilies and lady’s slippers from needless picking or sale, especially near highways or on public lands.
Threatened or endangered native plants require permits for removal on non-federal public lands, but cacti aren’t listed among them.
Violations might lead to fines, not jail time for private property actions.
The Arizona Cactus Confusion
In Arizona, cutting a protected saguaro cactus—even on private land—requires a permit; without it, penalties can reach 25 years in prison as a felony.
This stems from saguaros’ slow growth (150-200 years) and ecological value, making them akin to protected trees.
Oregon lacks saguaros and similar harsh rules, so the headline mixes up states.
