Miami Beach, FL Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)

City Code Sec. 46-58(2) incorporates by reference the prohibited tree species list published in chapter 24 of the Miami-Dade County Code, as the county amends it from time to time. If a prohibited species is present on a development or redevelopment site, it must be removed before construction begins, and its sale, propagation, planting, importation or transportation anywhere in the city is prohibited outright. There are only three narrow exceptions to mandatory removal: the tree has a trunk diameter greater than 12 inches at breast height, it has been designated a heritage tree, or it sits in a designated historic district as defined in Sec.

46-56, and in each case a variance from Miami-Dade County chapter 24 must first be obtained. The city charges no fee to remove a prohibited species, but a replacement tree is required for every one removed, calculated under City Code Sec. 46-64(5) (specimen tree mitigation) and Sec. 118-251. Because the list is incorporated by county reference rather than reprinted locally, property owners and landscapers must check the current Miami-Dade County chapter 24 list, since a species can be added or removed from prohibition without a Miami Beach ordinance amendment.