No, chopping down a cactus in your Rhode Island yard is not illegal under state law. Unlike Arizona’s felony protections for native saguaros, Rhode Island has no specific statutes targeting cacti, which are non-native ornamental plants in its temperate climate.​
Property Owner Rights
Homeowners may remove plants on private property without restriction, provided it’s not on public land or another’s property without permission. General tree-cutting laws (R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-44-2) prohibit damaging vegetation on others’ land but exempt your own yard.​
Local and Protected Rules
Municipal zoning or HOA rules might regulate landscaping for aesthetics, and invasives or public trees require permits via tree wardens. Cacti fall outside protected categories like forest products or nursery stock shipments.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-02-26/border-wall-saguaro-cactus)
[2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro)
[3](https://web.uri.edu/rhodeislandwoods/about-ri-woods/forest-regulation/)
[4](https://dem.ri.gov/online-services/rules-regulations)
[5](https://www.nationalplantboard.org/uploads/1/3/6/7/136771235/rhode_islandsummary.pdf)
