Landscaping Rules in St. Lucie County, FL (2026)
8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in St. Lucie County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
You may prune your own trees, but in Port St. Lucie substantially altering or damaging a protected tree requires a permit. Florida law also lets homeowners trim or remove a residential tree without local approval when a certified arborist documents it as dangerous.
Tree Trimming Rules in St. Lucie County
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code Sec. 154.14 (Permit required for tree removal)
Except as provided for in the article, no person shall, directly or indirectly, cut down, substantially alter, destroy, remove, relocate, damage, or authorize any such act involving a protected tree situated on land within the city, without first obtaining a tree removal permit.
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Port St. Lucie requires a tree removal permit before cutting down, moving, or destroying a protected tree, with replacement often required. Florida Statute 163.045 exempts homeowners who hold arborist documentation that a residential tree is dangerous.
Tree Removal Permits in St. Lucie County
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code Sec. 154.14 (Permit required for tree removal)
Except as provided for in the article, no person shall, directly or indirectly, cut down, substantially alter, destroy, remove, relocate, damage, or authorize any such act involving a protected tree situated on land within the city, without first obtaining a tree removal permit.
Weed Ordinances
St. Lucie County caps grass, weeds, brush and other overgrowth at 12 inches on any improved or unimproved lot in the unincorporated county. Code § 38-28(d) makes every owner, agent, lessee or occupant responsible for trimming growth below that height, on both the lot and the adjoining road right-of-way.
St. Lucie County Caps Weeds and Grass at 12 Inches
Some RestrictionsSt. Lucie County Code § 38-28(d)
Every owner and, if applicable, every agent, custodian, lessee, or occupant of property shall reasonably regulate and effectively control the excessive growth of grass, weeds, brush, and other overgrowth on the property, and that portion of the adjoining public right-of-way between the property and the paved or graded street. Excessive growth of grass, weeds, brush, and other overgrowth that ex...
Water Restrictions
Unincorporated St. Lucie County bans landscape irrigation from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round and limits watering to two assigned days a week: even addresses water Thursday and/or Sunday, odd addresses water Wednesday and/or Saturday, under County Code § 20-307.
St. Lucie County Watering Days: Even/Odd Schedule
Some RestrictionsSt. Lucie County Code § 20-307(4)
Landscape irrigation shall be prohibited between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., except as otherwise provided...Even addresses, as defined in section 20-305(5), installations with irrigation systems that irrigate both even and odd addresses within the same zones, such as multi-family units and homeowners' associations, and rights-of-way or other locations with no address shall have the o...
Rainwater Harvesting
St. Lucie County lets residents water any plant material with rain barrels, cisterns, or similar rain-harvesting devices on any day and at any time, with no exposure to the twice-weekly watering-day schedule, under County Code § 20-308(3).
Rain Barrels Exempt From St. Lucie Watering Days
Few RestrictionsSt. Lucie County Code § 20-308(3)
Any plant material may be watered using low volume irrigation, as defined in section 20-305(10), micro-irrigation, as defined in section 20-305(11), low volume hand watering method, rain barrels, cisterns, or other similar rain-harvesting devices without regard to the watering days or times allowed pursuant to this section.
Native Plants
Florida law protects your right to plant native, drought-tolerant, Florida-Friendly landscaping: a local ordinance may not prohibit any owner from implementing it. Port St. Lucie's landscape code actually favors native species and drought-tolerant material.
Native and Florida-Friendly Landscaping in St. Lucie County
Some RestrictionsF.S. 373.185(3)(c)
A local government ordinance may not prohibit or be enforced so as to prohibit any property owner from implementing Florida-friendly landscaping on his or her land.
Artificial Turf
Artificial turf is not banned outright, but Port St. Lucie's landscape code prohibits using synthetic or artificial material, including artificial turf, in place of required landscape plantings. It cannot count toward mandated landscaping, though decorative use may be allowed.
Artificial Turf Rules in St. Lucie County
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code Sec. 154.04 (Landscape material standards)
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
St. Lucie County limits residential composting under Code § 38-28(c)(2): a property may keep nonliving plant material in compost bins, but never more than two of them. Section 38-23 defines a compost bin as breathable wire, wood lattice, or similar construction capped at 64 square feet and five feet in height.
St. Lucie County Caps Compost Bins at Two
Some RestrictionsSt. Lucie County Code §§ 38-23, 38-28(c)(2)
Compost bin means a container designed for the purpose of allowing nonliving plant material to decompose for use as fertilizer. For purposes of this article, any such compost bin shall be constructed of wire, wood lattice or other material which allows air to filter through the structure. A compost bin shall not exceed an area of 64 square feet or a height of five feet. ... The storage of nonli...
Landscaping Rules by City in St. Lucie County
1 cities in St. Lucie County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All St. Lucie County ordinances
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