Spring Hill, FL Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)

Hernando County does not have a stand-alone artificial-turf ordinance. Chapter 10 (Community Appearance), Article II (Landscaping) — including §§ 10-22 (Land Clearing Permits), 10-23 (Tree Preservation), 10-26 (Vegetative Buffer Requirements), and 10-29 (Residential Lot Landscaping Requirements) — governs required landscape buffers, parking-lot interior landscaping, and tree counts for new development. Those sections generally require live trees and shrubs and do not credit synthetic turf toward landscape area or canopy requirements. On a wholly residential lot, synthetic-turf installation is not prohibited by the County and does not require a County landscape permit. FS 373.185 defines protected Florida-Friendly Landscaping as 'quality landscapes that conserve water, protect the environment, are adaptable to local conditions, and are drought tolerant' — Florida courts and the UF/IFAS program treat this as living, water-wise plant material, not synthetic turf. HOAs in Spring Hill therefore retain authority under FS Chapter 720 to regulate artificial turf (backyard-only placement, product specifications, infill type, drainage). The 18-inch grass-and-weed height rule and FDACS noxious-weed obligations still apply to any remaining live vegetation.