Pembroke Pines, FL Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Ban scope
- New installation of FLEPPC Category I species
- Reference list
- Most recent FLEPPC south region document
- Exception
- Licensed city arborist sign-off
- Removal incentive
- No permit fee for Category I tree removal
- Mitigation credit
- Counts toward § 155.680 mitigation plan
Summary
New plantings of any species the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council lists as Category I invasive for south Florida are banned citywide under § 155.664(Q). A licensed city landscape arborist can grant a narrow, site-specific exception, and removing an existing Category I invasive tree is financially encouraged rather than penalized.
(Q) All species as defined as Category I invasive materials in the most recent document compiled by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) for the south region are prohibited from new installation. An exception may be made if, in the opinion of the city licensed landscape arborist or professional landscape inspector a Category I species will not be harmful in that particular area or to the immediate surrounding environment, it shall be allowed.
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
664(Q) prohibits new installation of any plant species defined as Category I invasive material in the most recent Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) document for the south region. The only escape valve is professional: a city-licensed landscape arborist or professional landscape inspector can allow a Category I species if, in their opinion, it will not be harmful in that particular area or to the immediate surrounding environment. The ban only reaches new plantings; it does not itself force removal of invasive plants already on a property.
But the city stacks incentives on the removal side. 674(F), the application fee for a tree removal permit, normally $10 for a single-family owner-occupied property or $50 for nonresidential and multi-family sites, is waived entirely for FLEPPC Category I invasive trees. 665(B)(2) separately encourages using mulch derived from Melaleuca, Eucalyptus, or other invasive species so the material's environmental impact is reduced rather than left in place. 664(Q) check gets applied at the permitting stage.
Violations & Fines
Planting a new Category I invasive species without arborist sign-off is enforced under § 155.679, the landscaping subchapter's enforcement provision, which ties to the citywide general penalty in § 10.99: up to a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. Police, Code Compliance Officers, and city landscape personnel can also order the installation work stopped and require the plant material removed before work resumes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant a Brazilian pepper or Melaleuca tree in Pembroke Pines?
Do I have to remove an invasive tree that is already on my property?
Does it cost anything to get a permit to remove an invasive tree?
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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Prohibited Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle prohibited species.