Pembroke Pines, FL Invasive Plant Rules: Front Yard Gardens (2026)
Key Facts
- Local rule
- § 155.662(F) defers to state law
- Governing statute
- Fla. Stat. § 604.71 (2019)
- Effect
- Garden-specific local rules are void
- Still enforceable
- General water, fertilizer, invasive-species rules
- Statutory garden definition
- Plot for herbs, fruit, flowers, vegetables
Summary
Pembroke Pines cannot stop a resident from growing a vegetable garden in the front yard: its own landscape code at § 155.662(F) defers directly to Florida's 2019 Right to Garden law, Fla. Stat. § 604.71, which voids any local ordinance that specifically regulates vegetable gardens on residential property.
(F) Minimum landscape requirements for a vegetable garden. A vegetable garden shall comply with F.S. § 604.71. ... 604.71 Local regulation of vegetable gardens.— ... (2) Except as otherwise provided by law, a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of this state may not regulate vegetable gardens on residential properties. Any such local ordinance or regulation regulating vegetable gardens on residential properties is void and unenforceable. (3) This section does not preclude the adoption of a local ordinance or regulation of a general nature that does not specifically regulate vegetable gardens, including, but not limited to, regulations and ordinances relating to water use during drought conditions, fertilizer use, or control of invasive species.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-61: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2056, passed 12-11-25).
Full Breakdown
71, the state's Local Regulation of Vegetable Gardens statute enacted after a well-known Miami Shores couple was fined for growing vegetables in their front yard. That statute, effective July 1, 2019, bars a county, municipality, or other political subdivision from regulating vegetable gardens on residential properties at all; any such garden-specific local ordinance is declared void and unenforceable. The statute defines a vegetable garden broadly as a plot of ground where herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables are cultivated for human ingestion, so the protection is not limited to vegetables in the narrow sense.
664(Q). In practice this means Pembroke Pines residents can put a food garden in the front yard without a landscape variance for its location, but the garden's irrigation and any invasive plant material in it still have to follow the city's ordinary, non-garden-specific ordinances.
Violations & Fines
There is no municipal fine for locating a vegetable garden in the front yard, because the city has no authority to regulate that choice: § 604.71(2) makes a garden-specific local ordinance void and unenforceable outright. If the garden runs afoul of a general rule that is not garden-specific, such as a drought-stage watering restriction under Chapter 50 or planting a Category I invasive species banned by § 155.664(Q), the citywide general penalty in § 10.99 (up to $500, up to 90 days, or both) applies to that separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Pembroke Pines make me move my vegetable garden out of the front yard?
Is there a size limit on a home vegetable garden in Pembroke Pines?
Can the city still regulate anything about my garden?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pembroke Pines
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pembroke Pines to another location·View the Florida invasive plant rules overview
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