Weston, FL Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

Section 122.21(F) lists 20 named nuisance and invasive tree species by botanical and common name, including Earleaf Acacia, Carrotwood, Australian Pine, Melaleuca (Punk Tree), and Brazilian Pepper. Section 122.03(B)(7) sets the rule for removing them: Prohibited/Nuisance Tree removal requires one-to-one replacement rather than the equivalent canopy coverage credit used for ordinary trees, so a resident cannot satisfy the requirement with several smaller replacement plantings. The code then carves out its three worst invaders, Melaleuca, Brazilian pepper, and Australian pine, exempting their removal entirely from the permitting requirement of § 122.04, the replacement standard of § 122.21, and the construction-period protection standards of § 122.26, since the City wants these species gone rather than protected.

That exemption does not extend to the other 17 species on the list, such as Carrotwood or Silk Oak, which still require a permit and one-to-one replacement when removed. Native trees receive the opposite treatment elsewhere in the chapter: at least 50% of any replacement planting must be a native species, and any native tree removed must be replaced with a native species (§ 122.21(B), (C)(1)). The City's Landscape and Tree Survey requirements (§ 122.05) also require an applicant's tree survey to identify the botanical and common name of every existing tree on site, which is how the City checks a parcel against the Prohibited/Nuisance list before issuing any removal or building permit.