Sarasota County, FL Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)

). Section 54-621 explains the county's rationale: these species "have spread rapidly in many areas of Sarasota County and Florida, displacing the diverse native Florida vegetation and associated wildlife habitat," and Melaleuca, Australian Pine and Brazilian Pepper specifically carry adverse human-health and high-wind safety hazards. Section 54-625 makes the ban applicable within both the unincorporated county and its incorporated municipalities, one of the few tree or plant articles in Chapter 54 that reaches beyond unincorporated Sarasota County. The Administrator is responsible for administering and enforcing the ordinance under § 54-626(a).

This ban is broader than, and predates, the tree removal exemption in § 54-585(1)(a), which cross-references this same ordinance to exempt these six species from the separate Tree Permit requirement, meaning a property owner may remove one of these trees without a Tree Permit but still may not import, sell, propagate or plant it anywhere in the county.