Lake County, Fla. Caps Nondrought-Tolerant Turf

The new landscape ordinance for Lake County, Fla. specifies that for new commercial or residential construction, nondrought-tolerant turf, like St. Augustine (pictured) cannot comprise more than 60 percent of the landscaping. St. Augustine grass is omnipresent in the
Sunshine State.

Lake County in central Florida is home to more than 1,000 lakes and rivers and towns/cities you?EUR??,,????'???ve never heard of?EUR??,,????'??+Astatula, Eustis, Fruitland Park, Howey-in-the-Hills, Umatilla, to name a few unfamiliar names.

The county is currently holding a series of public meetings on its newly adopted landscape ordinance. One of the biggest changes is cutting back on nondrought-tolerant turf, like St. Augustine.

For new commercial or residential construction, nondrought-tolerant turf cannot comprise more than 60 percent of the landscaping.

The 40 percent remainder might be xeriscape, perhaps some Bahia grass or other Florida-friendly plants.

Lake County has produced a list of over a 1,000 Florida-friendly plants to choose from, plus plants that must be removed from the landscape. A pdf of the plant list can be viewed at http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2010/3/31/county_adopts_floridafriendly_landscaping_ordinance.html by clicking on the ?EUR??,,????'??landscape requirements?EUR??,,????'?? link.

Additionally, there is the interactive ?EUR??,,????'??Florida-friendly Plant Database?EUR??,,????'?? http://floridayards.org/fyplants/index.php that contains about 380 trees, palms, shrubs, flowers, groundcovers, grasses and vines recommended by University of Florida/IFAS horticulture experts and available at nurseries throughout Florida. The site specifies plants for three regions of Florida (north, central and south).