Florida Statute 373.185 establishes Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) as a protected statewide policy. A local government ordinance or HOA covenant may not prohibit any property owner from implementing FFL on his or her land. Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and unincorporated Lee County all sit within SFWMD's program. The UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program publishes the official nine principles.
FS 373.185(2) defines Florida-Friendly Landscaping as 'quality landscapes that conserve water, protect the environment, are adaptable to local conditions, and are drought tolerant.' Subsection (3) states: 'A deed restriction or covenant may not prohibit or be enforced so as to prohibit any property owner from implementing Florida-friendly landscaping, as defined in s. 373.185, on his or her land.' The same protection applies to local governments by the policy declarations in FS 373.185(1). The UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program publishes the nine FFL principles (right plant/right place, water efficiently, fertilize appropriately, mulch, attract wildlife, manage yard pests responsibly, recycle yard waste, reduce stormwater runoff, protect the waterfront). An HOA may still apply reasonable architectural review for aesthetic compatibility, but it cannot ban FFL outright. The City of Fort Myers does not impose a turf-grass primary-cover mandate that would conflict with FS 373.185.
An HOA covenant or City rule that effectively bans Florida-Friendly Landscaping is unenforceable under FS 373.185. Homeowners can raise FS 373.185 as a defense in HOA enforcement actions; case law (e.g., Pelican Bay HOA disputes) generally supports the owner where the landscape meets the FFL definition. There is no City-level enforcement against an owner who replaces turf with native or drought-tolerant species, provided the 12-inch nuisance height standard and noxious-weed obligations are still met.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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