Palm Beach Gardens, FL Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing table
- Table 29, § 78-318
- Must-remove species
- Air potato vine, Australian pine, Brazilian pepper, carrotwood
- Restricted-only species
- Bischofia, cat's claw, Chinese tallow tree
- Permit tie-in
- Mapped in land-clearing permit review
- Preserve areas
- Must stay clear of exotics
Summary
In the City of Palm Beach Gardens, a set list of invasive plant species may not be planted anywhere in the city, and some must be actively removed, under City Code § 78-318, Table 29. The list names species like air potato vine, Australian pine, Brazilian pepper, and carrotwood as required-removal plants.
Prohibited plants shall not be planted anywhere in the city, and in some cases must be removed. The official list of prohibited plant species, species to be removed, and species that may remain if planted is provided in Table 29. ... Common Name Scientific Name Shall not be Planted and Must Be Removed Not be Planted — But not Required to be Removed Air potato vine Dioscorea bulbifera ✓ Australian pine Casuarina spp. ✓ B ... razilian pepper or Florida holly Schinus teribinthifolius ✓ Carrotwood Supaniopsis anacardioides ✓
Full Breakdown
Section 78-318 states plainly that 'prohibited plants shall not be planted anywhere in the city, and in some cases must be removed,' and it points to Table 29 as the official list of prohibited species. Table 29 splits into two columns: species marked as 'Shall not be Planted and Must Be Removed,' which includes air potato vine (Dioscorea bulbifera), Australian pine (Casuarina spp.), Brazilian pepper or Florida holly (Schinus teribinthifolius), and carrotwood (Supaniopsis anacardioides) as printed in the table, and a second, more lenient category, 'Not be Planted, But not Required to be Removed,' covering species such as Bischofia (Bischofia javanica), cat's claw (Minosa pigra), and Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum).
Applicants seeking a landscape or land-clearing permit under sections 78-304 and 78-305 must map any exotic invasive species on site as part of the required vegetation and habitat survey, and a detailed landscape plan submitted for that permit must include, per section 78-305(c)(7)g, 'a narrative plan to eradicate and prevent the reestablishment of prohibited plant species listed in section 78-318.' Preserve areas set aside under section 78-316 must likewise be 'cleared and kept clean of any exotic plants, including, but not limited to, melaleuca, Brazilian pepper, and Australian pine,' tying the prohibited list directly into the city's ongoing preserve-maintenance duties, not just initial planting review.
Violations & Fines
Planting a species on the required-removal side of Table 29, or failing to remove one that already exists on a site subject to city review, is enforced the same way as any other landscaping violation under chapter 78: the growth management director administers the requirement, and unresolved cases go to the code enforcement board or special magistrate under chapter 2, article IV, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense under section 78-742.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brazilian pepper allowed to be planted in Palm Beach Gardens?
What's the difference between the two invasive plant categories in the code?
Do landscape plans have to address invasive species?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Beach Gardens
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Palm Beach Gardens to another location·View the Florida invasive plant rules overview
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Prohibited Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Palm Beach County handle prohibited species.