Miami-Dade County, FL Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Countywide, county or city enforced
- Native groundcover
- Exempt from lawn-area cap
- Native trees
- Up to 30% of tree count
- Existing homes
- Single-family/duplex exempt from chapter
- Irrigation
- Banned in native plant communities
Summary
Miami-Dade's landscape code excludes native and very drought-tolerant groundcover from the maximum lawn-area cap and lets native species meet up to 30% of required tree plantings, favoring native landscaping on new and permitted development countywide.
In municipalities, the maximum amount of lawn area for residential and mixed uses shall be limited to a maximum of sixty (60) percent of the landscaped open space required in the individual municipal code(s)... Very drought tolerant grasses and low growing native plant species, including grasses and forbs, as referenced in the Landscape Manual, may be used as groundcover beyond the maximum permitted grass area.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 18A, the Miami-Dade Landscape Ordinance, applies to both incorporated and unincorporated Miami-Dade: enforced by the County in UMSA and by each of the 34 municipalities in their own limits, which may set stricter rules. Existing single-family and duplex homes are exempt, so the standards bind new construction and permitted projects, not existing yards. For covered projects, native and very drought-tolerant groundcover species are excluded from the maximum permitted lawn area (capped at 60% of required open space, or 50% of net lot area where none is set, in municipalities; Table A in unincorporated areas), and native trees may satisfy up to 30% of the required tree count. Irrigation is banned inside native plant communities except temporarily during establishment.
Violations & Fines
Failure to install or maintain approved landscaping, including required native or drought-tolerant plantings, is a Code violation; Planning and Zoning withholds the certificate of occupancy or completion, and each day of noncompliance is a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to landscape my Miami-Dade yard with native plants?
Does Miami-Dade cap how much native landscaping a new project can use?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami-Dade County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami-Dade County to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
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