Gulfport, FL Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited species count
- 14 listed tree species
- Notice period
- 15 days to remove after notice
- Administrative fee
- $100 if city removes tree
- Enforcing official
- City manager or designee
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 22-20.11
Summary
Gulfport Code of Ordinances Section 22-20.11 makes it unlawful to plant any of fourteen invasive tree species listed in section 22-20.07(c) anywhere within the city limits, including Brazilian pepper, Australian pine and punk tree (Melaleuca). The city manager can order removal within 15 days, and unremoved trees are cut down by the city with a lien on the property plus a $100 fee.
(a)No person shall plant or cause to be planted anywhere within the corporate limits of the city, any tree listed in subsection 22-20.07 (c) of this article. Whenever the city manager or their designee, determines that any one (1) of the above prohibited trees has been planted within the city, he shall cause to be served upon the owner or occupant of the real property upon which the trees are planted in violation of this section a written notice requiring such owner or occupant to remove such tree or trees within fifteen (15) days after the service of such notice.(b)If after the service of the notice provided herein, the owner or occupant fails to comply with the directions contained therein within the time specified, the city manager, or his/her designee, may lawfully have the tree or trees removed and may place a lien against the property from which said tree was removed for the cost of the removal thereof and an administrative fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00).
Full Breakdown
07(c) anywhere within the corporate limits of the city. , except South American Banyan), Java plum (Syzygium cumini), Monkeypuzzle (Araucaria araucana), Punk tree/Melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia), Silk Oak (Grevillea robusta), and Woman's tongue (Albizia lebbeck). When the city manager or a designee determines one of these species has been planted, the city serves the property owner or occupant a written notice requiring removal within 15 days of service. 11(b). This prohibition sits inside Article XX (Trees) of Chapter 22 (Zoning), the same article that requires a permit before removing other protected trees six inches or more DBH, so a property owner who planted a banned species cannot simply cut it down without the city's notice process running its course. 12, but only under the variance standards in Article XI, not as a routine exception to the planting ban.
Violations & Fines
Planting a prohibited species triggers a 15-day written removal notice from the city manager or designee under section 22-20.11(a). Failing to remove the tree within that window lets the city cut it down itself and record a lien against the property for the removal cost plus a $100 administrative fee under section 22-20.11(b). The article's general enforcement provision, section 22-20.13, also allows any other code-enforcement remedy available under the Code of Ordinances.
Frequently Asked Questions
What trees can't I plant in Gulfport?
What happens if I already have one of these trees?
Can I get a variance for a prohibited species?
Who enforces this ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gulfport
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Gulfport to another location·View the Florida invasive plant rules overview
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Prohibited Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pinellas County handle prohibited species.