Landscaping Rules in Jacksonville, FL (2026)
5 verified landscaping rules for Jacksonville, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Jacksonville requires written permission from the Director of Public Works before anyone trims or removes a tree along a public street or on public property, under Ordinance Code Section 746.105.
Jacksonville Street Tree Trimming Requires City Permit
Significant RestrictionsJacksonville Ordinance Code § 746.105
Trees along public streets or on public property may be trimmed or removed by abutting property owners or citizens only with the permission, in writing, of the Director of Public Works. This permission shall be obtained as provided in Chapter 304.
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Jacksonville requires a permit before cutting down any protected tree, six inches DBH near a lot line and up, though owner-occupied single-family and mobile-home lots are exempt from the permit requirement entirely.
Jacksonville Protected Tree Removal Permit
Significant RestrictionsJacksonville Ordinance Code § 656.1205(a)
No person, organization, society, association or corporation, or any agent or representative thereof, directly or indirectly, shall cut down, remove, damage or destroy, or shall authorize the cutting down, removal, damage, or destruction of any protected tree, as defined in Section 656.1203(bb) hereof... without first having obtained a permit as herein provided.
Weed Ordinances
Jacksonville declares weeds, grass, underbrush and undergrowth over 15 inches tall a public nuisance on any lot, enforceable citywide by Municipal Code Compliance.
Jacksonville Caps Weeds and Grass at 15 In.
Some RestrictionsJacksonville Ordinance Code § 518.202(1)
Nuisance vegetation which exceeds a height of 15 inches over the majority of the parcel or growth or weeds, grass, underbrush or undergrowth, or other noxious vegetation (but not including trees, plants or other vegetation protected by State law) which fully or partially obstructs the parcel or any public right-of-way, sidewalk or other type of passage.
Water Restrictions
Jacksonville limits landscape irrigation to specific days by address parity and season, with a citywide 10 a.m.-4 p.m. no-watering window year-round.
Jacksonville Lawn Watering Day Restrictions
Some RestrictionsJacksonville Ordinance Code § 366.504(a)
(1)Landscape irrigation at odd numbered residential addresses or places without an address shall occur only on Wednesday and Saturday and not between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.;(2)Landscape irrigation at even numbered residential addresses shall occur only on Thursday and Sunday and not between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.;(3)Nonresidential landscape irrigation shall occur only on Tuesday and Friday ...
Native Plants
Jacksonville's landscape code requires new landscaping to preserve existing plant communities and re-establish native species, and lets developers earn full credit toward planting requirements by keeping existing trees and understory instead of installing new stock.
Jacksonville Native Plant Landscaping Rules
Some RestrictionsJacksonville Ordinance Code § 656.1211(a), (e)(2)
(a)All landscapes shall be designed to achieve water efficiency by:(1)Preserving existing plant communities;(2)Re-establishing of native plant communities per Comprehensive Plan objectives and polices;(3)Using Florida-Friendly plant materials which are appropriate for the site conditions... Protection and preservation of native species and natural areas shall be provided. The planting of invasi...