North Port, FL Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Species banned
- ~150 named + all FLEPPC-listed
- Where it applies
- Citywide, all properties
- Added
- Ord. No. 2024-13, 8-6-2024
- Governs
- New planting, not removal
Summary
North Port bans planting over 100 listed invasive plants citywide, plus any species on the current FLEPPC invasive plant lists.
Table 4.3.5.1. includes prohibited plant species in the City of North Port. The plant species included in this table shall not be planted within the City, nor shall any invasive exotic plant species in the most current Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) Invasive Plant Lists, as amended.
TABLE 4.3.5.1.
Prohibited Plant Species
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Air-Potato Dioscorea bulbifera Alligator Weed Alternanthera philoxeroides Arabian Jasmine Jasminum sambac Arrowhead Vine Syngonium podophyllum Asian Marshweed Limnophila sessiliflora Asian Sword Fern Nephrolepis multiflora
Asparagus-Fern Asparagus aethiopicus (= A. sprengeri; A. densiflorus misapplied)
Australian Almond Terminalia muelleri Australian Pine Casuarina equisetifolia Australian Pine Casuarina cunninghamiana Bamboo Palm Chamaedorea seifrizii Bischofia Bischofia javanica Bowstring Hemp Sansevieria hyacinthoides Brazilian Jasmine Jasminum fluminense Brazilian Pepper Schinus terebinthifolius Burma Reed, Cane Grass Neyraudia reynaudiana Caesar's Weed Urena lobata Calico Flower Aristolochia littoralis Carrotwood Cupaniopsis anacardioides Castor Bean Ricinus communis Cat's Claw Vine Macfadyena unguis-cati Catclaw Mimosa Mimosa pigra Chinaberry Melia azedarach Chinese Brake Fern Pteris vittata Chinese Wisteria Wisteria sinensis
Climbing Cassia, Christmas Cassia, Christmas Senna Senna pendula var. glabrata (= Cassia coluteoides)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of the City: Supplement 65 | Unified Land Development Code: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
The Unified Land Development Code's Table 4.3.5.1 names roughly 150 prohibited species, Brazilian pepper, melaleuca, air-potato, kudzu, Chinese tallow, cogon grass and others, that may not be planted anywhere in North Port. The ban also sweeps in any species on the current Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Lists, so the prohibited list grows automatically as FLEPPC updates its own lists without the city amending its code.
Violations & Fines
Planting a listed species violates the landscaping standards in ULDC Article 4 and is enforced through the city's code compliance process for zoning and land development violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant Brazilian pepper or melaleuca in North Port?
Does the list ever change without a new city ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Port
Florida rules heatmap·Compare North Port to another location·View the Florida invasive plant rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Prohibited Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sarasota County handle prohibited species.