Landscaping Rules in Spring Hill, FL: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Spring Hill or are thinking about moving there, landscaping rules are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Spring Hill has 7 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of landscaping rules, and some of them might surprise you.

Grass Height Limits

Spring Hill is an unincorporated CDP in Hernando County, so Hernando County Code Enforcement is the regulator. County ordinance makes it unlawful to allow grass or weeds to grow more than 18 inches tall (excluding seed pods) on any parcel within 100 feet of improved property, with exceptions for parcels zoned Agricultural (A/R, A/R1, A/R2), County 2.5, or Conservation. Owners receive a 20-day notice; if they fail to mow, a County-contracted contractor mows and the cost plus administrative fees is billed and ultimately liened against the property.

Key details: Max Height: 18 inches (grass / weeds, excluding seed pods). Geographic Trigger: Within 100 feet of any improved property. Zoning Exemptions: Agricultural, A/R, A/R1, A/R2, County 2.5, Conservation. Compliance Window: 20 days from receipt of Notice. Enforcement: Hernando County Code Enforcement.

Failure to mow within the 20-day notice period triggers County-contracted abatement at a predetermined cost. The owner is invoiced for the contractor cost plus administrative fees. If the invoice is unpaid 30 days after the Board of County Commissioners' meeting to impose the lien, a special assessment lien with accruing interest is recorded against the parcel. Persistent violators can be referred to the Code Enforcement Magistrate under Chapter 2 of the Code of Ordinances.

Weed Ordinances

Hernando County Code Enforcement enforces the 18-inch grass and weed height limit on any parcel within 100 feet of improved property in unincorporated Spring Hill, with exceptions only for Agricultural (A/R, A/R1, A/R2), County 2.5, and Conservation zoning. Violations are corrected by County-contracted abatement billed to and ultimately liened against the property. State-listed noxious weeds remain under FDACS authority (FS Chapter 581) in parallel.

Key details: Local Height Limit: 18 inches (grass / weeds, excluding seed pods). Geographic Trigger: Within 100 feet of improved property. Zoning Exemptions: Agricultural, A/R, A/R1, A/R2, County 2.5, Conservation. State Weed Authority: FDACS — FS Chapter 581. Abatement Remedy: County-contracted mowing + invoice + lien.

Notice of Violation followed by a 20-day compliance window. Failure to comply triggers County-contracted abatement billed at predetermined cost plus administrative fees. Unpaid invoices become special assessment liens 30 days after the Board lien-imposition meeting, with accruing interest. Repeat violations are referred to the Hernando County Code Enforcement Magistrate, who can impose continuing daily fines under Chapter 2 of the Code of Ordinances.

Tree Trimming

On a single-family residential lot in unincorporated Spring Hill / Hernando County, Florida Statute 163.045 prevents the County from requiring a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation to prune, trim, or remove a tree if the owner has on-site documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or Florida-licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk under ISA Best Management Practices — Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017). Routine ornamental pruning on private residential property is otherwise unregulated by the County, but ANSI A300 standards are recommended.

Key details: State Preemption: FS 163.045 (single-family residential only). Required Documentation: ISA-certified arborist OR FL licensed landscape architect. Risk Standard: ISA BMP — Tree Risk Assessment, 2nd Ed. (2017). County Code (commercial / ROW): Chapter 10, Article II (Landscaping). ROW Trees: Hernando County Public Works (352-754-4060).

Relying on FS 163.045 without ISA-certified arborist documentation exposes the owner to Code Enforcement action under Chapter 10 Article II for unpermitted tree removal, including mandatory replacement. Pruning or damaging a right-of-way tree without authorization can prompt Public Works mitigation charges. HOA rules in Spring Hill subdivisions (Timber Pines, Wellington, Spring Hill Civic Association, etc.) may still apply within the limits of FS Chapter 720.

Spring Hill is more permissive than most cities when it comes to tree trimming. That said, there are still limits.

Water Restrictions

Spring Hill is in unincorporated Hernando County, served by Hernando County Utilities and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). Hernando County's local ordinance (Code of Ordinances Chapter 28, Article XI) is more restrictive than SWFWMD's two-day year-round standard: irrigation is limited to ONE day per week year-round, with watering allowed only between 12:01 AM-4:00 AM OR 8:00 PM-11:59 PM on the assigned day. SWFWMD is currently in Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage through July 1, 2026, which aligns with — and does not relax — the County rule.

Key details: Water District: Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). Local Authority: Hernando County Code Ch. 28, Art. XI. Frequency: 1 day per week, year-round. Allowed Hours: 12:01 AM-4:00 AM OR 8:00 PM-11:59 PM. Days by Last Digit: 0-1 Mon, 2-3 Tue, 4-5 Wed, 6-7 Thu, 8-9 Fri.

Irrigating on the wrong day, outside the allowed 12:01 AM-4 AM or 8 PM-11:59 PM windows, or on a Saturday or Sunday is a code violation enforceable by Hernando County. SWFWMD enforcement under Chapter 373, F.S., and Rule 40D-22 layers on top. Cumulative violations are referred to the Hernando County Code Enforcement Magistrate, who can impose daily fines until corrected.

This is one of the stricter rules in Spring Hill's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees

Hernando County Code Chapter 10 (Community Appearance), Article II (Landscaping) governs tree removal in unincorporated Spring Hill. A Land Clearing Permit is required before clearing under § 10-22, and Specimen trees (18-inch DBH or greater) and Majestic trees (36-inch DBH or greater) must be preserved unless the County Administrator finds one of the listed mitigating conditions (immediate safety hazard, infestation, property damage). Florida Statute 163.045 preempts the County permit on a single-family residential lot when the owner has on-site ISA-certified arborist documentation that the tree is dangerous.

Key details: Primary Authority: Hernando County Code Ch. 10, Art. II (Landscaping). Permit Trigger: § 10-22 — Land Clearing Permit required. Specimen Tree: DBH 18 inches or greater (must be preserved). Majestic Tree: DBH 36 inches or greater (must be preserved). Regulated Tree: DBH 3 to <18 inches.

Clearing land without a Land Clearing Permit under § 10-22 is unlawful and is enforced by Code Enforcement with mandatory restoration, replacement plantings under Chapter 10 Article II, and Code Enforcement Magistrate fines. Removing a Specimen or Majestic tree without the § 10-23 administrator finding (and without FS 163.045 documentation) can require like-for-like mitigation scaled to the DBH of the removed tree. Mangrove removal without an FDEP permit can carry separate state penalties.

Native Plants

Florida Statute 373.185 establishes Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) as a protected statewide policy. Neither Hernando County nor an HOA in Spring Hill may prohibit a property owner from implementing FFL on their land. Spring Hill / Hernando County sits in SWFWMD's service area, and the UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program (Gainesville) publishes the official nine FFL principles. HOAs may apply reasonable architectural review for aesthetics but cannot ban FFL outright.

Key details: Authorizing Statute: FS 373.185. HOA Preemption: FS 373.185(3) — outright bans unenforceable. Definition: Conserves water, drought-tolerant, locally adapted. Reference Program: UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping. Spring Hill Climate Zone: USDA Zone 9a / 9b.

Any HOA covenant or County rule that effectively bans Florida-Friendly Landscaping is unenforceable under FS 373.185. Homeowners can raise FS 373.185 as an affirmative defense in HOA enforcement actions. There is no County-level enforcement against an owner who replaces turf with native or drought-tolerant species, provided the 18-inch grass / weed height standard and FDACS noxious-weed obligations are satisfied. An HOA may still impose reasonable, narrowly tailored architectural review (color, screening, hardscape ratios) but cannot prohibit FFL itself.

Spring Hill is more permissive than most cities when it comes to native plants. That said, there are still limits.

Artificial Turf

Hernando County's Code of Ordinances does not prohibit artificial turf on residential property in Spring Hill, and no County landscape permit is required to install it on a single-family lot. Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FS 373.185) protects living, water-wise landscapes from HOA bans but does NOT extend to artificial turf — so HOAs in Timber Pines, Wellington at Seven Hills, Silverthorn, and other Spring Hill communities may still adopt reasonable rules limiting it. New developments must still meet Chapter 10, Article II live-plant landscape buffer and tree-count requirements.

Key details: County Position: Allowed on residential lots; no County permit. Code Reference: Chapter 10, Art. II — live plants required in buffers. State Protection: FS 373.185 protects FFL, NOT synthetic turf. HOA Authority: May regulate under FS Ch. 720. New Development: Does not count toward landscape buffer requirement.

Installing artificial turf as a substitute for required Chapter 10 Article II landscape buffer or perimeter plantings will fail plan review and prevent issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy on new construction. HOA artificial-turf disputes are civil matters under FS Chapter 720 and the recorded covenants.

The rules around artificial turf in Spring Hill lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Spring Hill gives residents more room on landscaping rules. 3 of the 7 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

Keep in mind that Spring Hill can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.