Coconut Creek, FL Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Coconut Creek Code § 13-444(c) sets the native plant floor for landscaping the City Commission requires. Plant material must meet Florida No. 1 or better under the state Grades and Standards for Nursery Plants, and the minimum quantities of native plants and plant species for each type of plant material installed, excluding turf and grass, is 50 percent. The types covered are shade or canopy trees, intermediate trees, small trees, palms and shrubs, not groundcover or grasses. No more than 25 percent of new materials brought to a site can be the same species, except sod, and native palms are exempt from that 25 percent limit under subsection (c)(1)b.

Native is defined in § 13-442 as a species with a geographic distribution indigenous to all or part of Florida, as identified in the Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida by Wunderlin and Hansen. Invasive exotic plant species are those UF/IFAS or the Florida Invasive Species Council rank as Category I and II, and § 13-444(b)(2)a.5 requires them eradicated from all areas where landscaping is required. Landscape plans must show calculations and ratios of native and exotic trees and shrubs.

Managed natural landscape carries limits. Preserved ecological communities are exempt from irrigation and sod rules, but no mechanical equipment can be used to maintain them unless the city authorizes it in writing. Xeriscape areas are exempt from the underground irrigation and sod requirements. Yards are not exempt from mowing standards: turf, grass and weeds cannot exceed 6 inches on developed lots, 12 inches on partially developed lots without structures and 24 inches on undeveloped land. Decorative rock can cover no more than 10 percent of an open space yard area.

Existing developments are treated differently. Under § 13-446(g)(2), the native species ratio does not have to be met to keep existing required landscaping in compliance. If a native plant on an approved plan is unavailable, § 13-448(r)(2) requires a native replacement.