9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Lee County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Lee County, grasses and weeds over 12 inches high on a lot are a declared nuisance under the Lot Mowing Ordinance (No. 14-08). Owners must keep vegetation cut, or the County mows it and assesses the cost.
Lee County Ord. No. 14-08, Secs. 3 & 6
Nuisance Vegetation means grasses and weeds that are not regularly cared for and maintained, which exceed 12 inches in height... All real property Owners... will... cut and keep cut, to a height not exceeding 12 inches, all grasses and weeds on any property owned, controlled or occupied by them.
Trees required by the Lee County Land Development Code may only be pruned to promote healthy, natural growth using ANSI A300 and ISA standards. Severe pruning, topping, or hat-racking is prohibited and carries per-tree fines.
Lee County LDC Sec. 10-421(c)
Vegetation required by this code may only be pruned to promote healthy, uniform, natural growth of the vegetation (except where necessary to promote health, safety, and welfare) and be in accordance with 'American National Standard for Tree Care Operations... (A300, Part 1)'... and 'Best Management Practices: Tree Pruning' by the International Society of Arboriculture.
Under Lee County LDC Chapter 14, Article V, a tree protected by the article may be lawfully removed only after a vegetation/tree removal permit is secured from the administrator. Protected species are listed in Appendix E of the LDC.
Lee County LDC Sec. 14-382
Any tree, as defined and protected by this article, may be lawfully removed only after a permit therefor has been secured from the administrator.
The Lee County Lot Mowing Ordinance (No. 14-08) declares grasses and weeds over 12 inches on lots a nuisance in unincorporated areas. The County notices owners, then mows and liens the property if the overgrowth is not abated.
Lee County Ord. No. 14-08, Sec. 4(A)
Grasses and weeds in excess of 12 inches in height and covering more than 50% of an unimproved Lot area, impair the economic welfare of property, contribute a fire hazard, or create a health hazard constituting a nuisance where any part of the growths are located within one hundred fifty (150) feet of the boundary of any Developed and Adjacent Property.
Unincorporated Lee County limits landscape irrigation to set days by address and bans watering from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round under Ordinance No. 24-01, supplementing the SFWMD Year-Round rule (FAC 40E-24). A stricter one-day schedule runs February through May.
Lee County Ord. No. 24-01, Sec. 11-23(c)
Landscape irrigation is prohibited daily between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.... From June 1 through January 31... even-numbered addresses... may accomplish necessary landscape irrigation only on Thursday and/or Sunday... odd-numbered addresses... may accomplish necessary landscape irrigation only on Wednesday and/or Saturday.
Lee County does not restrict residential rainwater harvesting. Under water Ordinance No. 24-01, rain barrels, cisterns, and other rain-harvesting devices may be used to water plants any day of the week, exempt from the landscape irrigation day and time limits.
Lee County Ord. No. 24-01, Sec. 11-23(c)
Any plant material may be watered using low volume irrigation, micro-irrigation, low-volume hand watering methods, and rain barrels, cisterns, or other similar rain-harvesting devices without regard to the watering days or times allowed pursuant to this section.
Lee County's development landscape standards require a large share of native Florida trees and shrubs from Appendix E, and Florida law (FS 373.185) bars HOAs from prohibiting water-conserving Florida-friendly landscaping. Native gardens are protected, not banned.
FS 373.185(3)(b)
A deed restriction or covenant may not prohibit or be enforced so as to prohibit any property owner from implementing Florida-friendly landscaping on his or her land or create any requirement or limitation in conflict with any provision of part II of this chapter.
Lee County's Land Development Code does not authorize synthetic turf as a substitute for required living landscaping, so it generally does not count toward development landscape or open-space requirements. For a private yard, check zoning and stormwater rules before installing.
Backyard composting is allowed in Lee County; no ordinance prohibits a residential compost pile. Yard waste (grass, leaves, brush) is collected separately through the County's curbside solid waste program rather than placed with regular garbage.
1 cities in Lee County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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