West Palm Beach, FL Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Chapter 94, Sec. 94-445(4)l sets a hard floor: at least 60 percent of plant material added must be Florida native or drought-tolerant species selected from the city list or the South Florida Water Management District's Waterwise South Florida Landscapes guide. That requirement applies to plant material added under the article's landscape and screening standards for every development subject to Chapter 94, not just as a voluntary credit. Separately, Sec. 94-441(g) requires all new developments, except those exempted under subsection 94-441(c) (accessory structures on single-family or duplex lots, minor renovations under 50 percent of structure value, and golf course playing surfaces), to satisfy a Florida-friendly landscape point system before receiving a certificate of occupancy: a minimum of 25 points for a single-family dwelling and 50 points for all other developments.

Native-plant options dominate the point table: using 25 to 50 percent Florida natives for groundcover or grass earns ten points and 51 percent or more earns 15; the same tiers apply separately to shrubs and to trees, each worth up to 15 points. The landscape plan must tabulate each design option and its point allocation, and the planning department maintains the approved native and drought-tolerant species list referenced by both provisions. Plants may only be counted once toward either the native or drought-tolerant credit, preventing double-counting on the same specimen.