Florida-Friendly Landscaping in Tampa Bay

The nine principles

Florida-Friendly Landscaping is a program of UF/IFAS Extension. It lists nine principles.

1. Right plant, right place. Match each plant to the sun, soil, moisture and salt at that spot.
2. Water efficiently. Water when plants need it, not on a calendar.
3. Fertilize appropriately. Apply the right amount at the right time.
4. Mulch. Cover beds to protect soil and roots.
5. Attract wildlife. Plant for pollinators and birds.
6. Manage yard pests responsibly. Limit harm to people, pets and waterways.
7. Recycle yard waste. Reuse leaves and clippings on site.
8. Reduce stormwater runoff. Keep rain on the property.
9. Protect the waterfront. Guard shorelines and water bodies from landscape impacts.

The program is about better choices, not a particular look. A Florida-friendly yard can have a lawn, a patio and lighting. It does not have to be all native plants.

Right plant, right place in Tampa Bay

Low-maintenance natives for the area include muhly grass, coontie, firebush, saw palmetto and wax myrtle. Natives are adapted to local soils and climate, and once established they generally need little watering and few or no fertilizers or pesticides.

Close to the water the plant list narrows to salt-tolerant types, and that line is roughly an eighth of a mile from salt water.

Check the mature size on the tag before you buy. A shrub that reaches 20 feet does not belong under a window.

Watering, irrigation and mulch

The program says to install and maintain a rain shutoff device so irrigation stops after rain, and to watch plants for stress rather than water on a fixed calendar. Florida law has a related rule. An owner who installs an automatic landscape irrigation system must keep technology working that stops the system when the soil already has enough moisture.

For mulch, the program recommends 2 to 3 inches on beds, with at least 2 inches of bare space around tree trunks to prevent rot. It suggests sustainably harvested types such as melaleuca, pine straw or eucalyptus, and it says cypress mulch may not be harvested sustainably.

Watering limits matter now too. The district order allows one lawn-watering day a week through March 31, 2027, unless it changes. Hand watering and low-volume watering of non-lawn plants is allowed any day before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. in Hillsborough County and Clearwater. That favors drought-tolerant beds over thirsty turf.

Fertilizer rules

Pinellas County's ordinance bans nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer on turf and landscape from June 1 to September 30. It also bans application when the National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm, flood, tropical storm or hurricane warning or watch, or when 2 inches or more of rain is forecast within 24 hours. Annual nitrogen is capped at 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet, and a 10 foot zone with no fertilizer applies next to surface water and seawalls.

The City of Tampa bars nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer between the same dates, and its ordinance adds to the rules of the county Environmental Protection Commission, which also set a 10 foot fertilizer-free zone near water. Clearwater also lists June 1 to September 30 for fertilizer.

Your legal protections against an HOA

Section 373.185 of the Florida Statutes says a deed restriction or covenant may not prohibit a property owner from using Florida-friendly landscaping on the owner's land, and it may not be enforced to do so. Local government ordinances are held to the same limit.

Separately, the water district's shortage order says HOAs cannot enforce rules that require more water use, such as replacing plants to meet appearance standards. Hillsborough County lists that protection through March 31, 2027.

Neither rule means an HOA has no say. It can still run an approval process for exterior changes. Put the plan in writing, cite s. 373.185 if there is a dispute, and ask your landscaper to submit the drawings.

What to ask your landscaper

Worth asking when your landscaper calls:

• Which of the nine principles does this plan follow, and where does it depart?
• How were sun, soil and salt exposure checked before the plants were chosen?
• Which plants need regular water for the first months, and how does that fit the watering days for my address?
• How large will each plant get, and where will it be in five years?
• What irrigation is planned, and does it have a rain shutoff and zones that match plant needs?
• Which mulch, how deep, and how far from trunks?
• Who handles HOA approval?