Landscaping Rules in Port St. Lucie, FL (2026)
7 verified landscaping rules for Port St. Lucie, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Routine trimming and pruning that is not meant to kill the plant needs no permit in Port St. Lucie. Substantially altering or damaging a protected tree does: 12 inches D.B.H. or greater, or a native palm with ten feet of clear trunk.
Tree Trimming Rules in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 154.14(A) and § 154.17 (Ord. No. 15-70, 9-14-15); § 43.04(a)(2) (Ord. No. 14-46, 7-28-14); "protected tree" defined in Ch. 153
On August 8, 2011, the City of Port St. Lucie City Council adopted the Tree Protection and Preservation Ordinance. This ordinance aims to safeguard mature trees with a diameter at breast height (D.B.H.) of 12 inches or greater and native palm trees with a clear trunk of at least 10 feet, whether on public or private property. Single-family lots that have been platted are exempt from these tree ...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
You need a tree removal permit before cutting down, substantially altering, relocating or damaging a protected tree in Port St. Lucie: any tree of 12 inches D.B.H. or greater, or any native palm with at least ten feet of clear trunk.
Tree Removal Permits in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances §§ 154.14, 154.15, 154.16, 154.17 (Ord. No. 15-70, 9-14-15); "protected tree" defined in Ch. 153
Mitigation is required for the removal of a protected tree at a ratio of one inch D.B.H. for each inch of D.B.H. removed. Trees preserved or relocated on-site, which exceed the minimum landscape requirements count as equivalent replacement D.B.H. Trees planted on-site which exceed the minimum landscape requirements shall count as one-half credit towards the mitigation requirements. Each palm tr...
Weed Ordinances
On improved property in Port St. Lucie, owners must keep grass and weeds from exceeding 12 inches in length, and must also mow and clear the swale between the pavement and their property line.
Port St. Lucie Grass Height Limit (Sec. 41.08(b))
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code Sec. 41.08(b) and Sec. 41.08(g); Sec. 40.05; Sec. 40.20; Sec. 37.09
High grass & weeds- Section 41.08(B): All grass must be mowed below 12 inches on all improved property (with a structure built upon it). ... Swale Maintenance- Section 41.08(H)(1): Each homeowner is responsible for regularly mowing and removing debris, litter, and obstructions from the swale area and liner.
Water Restrictions
Port St. Lucie adopts the South Florida Water Management District's year-round landscape irrigation rules by reference in section 65.07. The city writes the daily no-water window into its own code but leaves the day-of-week schedule to the District.
Port St. Lucie Adopts SFWMD Year-Round Irrigation Rules
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances §§ 65.07(c), 65.07(d), 65.08
Landscape irrigation shall be prohibited daily between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. ... In Broward, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties: odd addresses ... shall have the opportunity to accomplish necessary landscape irrigation only on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday[;] even addresses ... shall have the opportunity to accomplish ne...
Native Plants
Port St. Lucie's landscape code sets native-species quotas for regulated sites: at least 50% of required trees and 25% of shrubs must be native. Single-family lots instead owe a set number of trees by lot size.
Native Plant and Landscaping Requirements in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code §§ 154.03(A), 154.03(C), 154.04(C), 154.04(D), 154.07, 44.03
Restricted Season: No fertilizer containing nitrogen and/or phosphorus (phosphate) shall be applied to turf or landscape plants from June 1 to September 30 each year. ... Nitrogen Application: During the non-restricted season October 1 to May 31, nitrogen fertilizer must contain at least 50% slow release nitrogen. ... Phosphorus Application: No fertilizer containing phosphorus (phosphate) shall...
Artificial Turf
Port St. Lucie's landscaping code will not let artificial turf, or any synthetic tree, shrub, ground cover or vine, satisfy a site's required plant landscaping. Section 154.04(H) bars substituting synthetic material for the live plant standards the rest of Chapter 154 sets for landscaping required citywide under site plan approval.
Artificial Turf Banned in Required Landscaping
Significant RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 154.04(H)
(H)Synthetic Plants. Synthetic or artificial material in the form of trees, shrubs, ground cover, vines, or artificial turf shall not be used in lieu of plant requirements in this section.
Composting
Port St. Lucie treats a backyard compost pile as recycling, not illegal waste disposal, under Code Section 80.14(f), as long as the pile doesn't turn into a nuisance. If a compost pile creates odor, pests, or other nuisance conditions, it loses that protection and becomes a prohibited accumulation of solid waste.
Backyard Composting Rules in Port St. Lucie
Light RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 80.14(f)
No person shall:...(f)Accumulate or cause to be accumulated any bulk waste, yard waste, industrial waste, commercial waste, junk, garbage, rubbish, or other solid waste in or upon any property owned by a person or in a person's control. Any such accumulation on any property in the city is hereby declared to be a nuisance. Creation or maintenance of a backyard compost pile shall be considered re...
Looking for St. Lucie County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Port St. Lucie city rules.
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