Port St. Lucie, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Adopted by the City Council on August 8, 2011 and codified in Code of Ordinances Chapter 154 (Landscape and Land Clearing Code), the Tree Protection and Preservation Ordinance safeguards mature trees with a D.B.H. of 12 inches or greater and native palm trees with a clear trunk of at least 10 feet, whether on public or private property. A Tree Removal Permit must be obtained from the Planning and Zoning Department before removing a protected tree; permits are evaluated against criteria such as whether the tree sits in the net buildable area, an existing or proposed right-of-way or easement/stormwater tract, whether it creates a safety or health hazard, interferes with utilities, or is confirmed diseased, severely injured, or in danger of falling. Mitigation is required at a ratio of one inch D.B.H. replaced for each inch removed. Platted single-family lots are exempt as long as the minimum single-family landscaping requirements are met and maintained, and non-native fruit trees (mangoes, avocados, citrus) and utility-easement hazard removals are also excepted. Routine trimming of one's own non-protected landscaping is not regulated, but cutting protected trees without a permit is unlawful.