Your yard and your HOA, by Florida law.
An association can’t ban Florida-friendly landscaping or make you water past the drought rules. What that covers, your hardiness zone, the salt line near the coast, and what to plant when.
By Krista Fracke — Broker Associate, Christie's International Real Estate First Coast · 20+ years in Northeast Florida · 500+ closings · client reviews
What an HOA can’t require
I’m Krista Fracke, and in a master-planned community here the covenants usually say something about the yard. Two Florida statutes sit above them. Florida Statutes 720.3075(4) says an association’s documents may not prohibit an owner from putting in Florida-friendly landscaping, and may not create a requirement that conflicts with the water management district’s rules or a water shortage order. Section 373.185(3) says the same of any deed restriction.
That second part matters this year: the district’s drought order holds sprinklers to one day a week, and no covenant can require more.
The statutes protect the choice; they don’t cancel architectural review. Most associations here still ask for a landscape plan before work starts, so the order is: read the guidelines, submit the plan, then plant.
What “Florida-friendly” means
Section 373.185 defines it as landscaping that conserves water, protects the environment, suits local conditions and tolerates drought, and names nine principles. The University of Florida’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping program teaches the same nine, and its free plant guide filters plants by region, light, salt and soil.
- 1Right plant, right place
- 2Water efficiently
- 3Fertilize appropriately
- 4Mulch
- 5Attract wildlife
- 6Manage yard pests responsibly
- 7Recycle yard waste
- 8Reduce stormwater runoff
- 9Protect the waterfront
Your hardiness zone
The USDA’s 2023 hardiness map zones places by the average coldest night of the year. Nearly all of Northeast Florida is 9b; inland Nassau County is a half zone colder. A plant tag rated to your zone or lower should ride out a normal winter.
| Place | ZIP | Zone | Average coldest night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ponte Vedra Beach | 32082 | 9b | 25 to 30°F |
| Nocatee | 32081 | 9b | 25 to 30°F |
| St. Augustine | 32084 | 9b | 25 to 30°F |
| St. Augustine Beach | 32080 | 9b | 25 to 30°F |
| World Golf Village | 32092 | 9b | 25 to 30°F |
| St. Johns and Fruit Cove | 32259 | 9b | 25 to 30°F |
| eTown and Southside | 32256 | 9b | 25 to 30°F |
| Jacksonville Beach | 32250 | 9b | 25 to 30°F |
| Mandarin | 32223 | 9b | 25 to 30°F |
| Fernandina Beach | 32034 | 9b | 25 to 30°F |
| Yulee | 32097 | 9a | 20 to 25°F |
| Callahan | 32011 | 9a | 20 to 25°F |
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023), looked up by ZIP on October 24, 2026.
Near the ocean: the salt line
UF/IFAS advises that anything planted within about an eighth of a mile of salt water should be at least somewhat salt-tolerant, because spray, wind and sandy, high-pH soil work together (its coastal landscapes guide). Its examples include wax myrtle as a shrub and bougainvillea as a vine. On an oceanfront or beach-block lot, set the plant guide’s salt filter before you shop; the plants that do well a mile inland often don’t on the dune side.
What grows here, and when
North Florida gardens run on two seasons. UF/IFAS’s North Florida fall planting guide puts carrots, beets and radishes in from September through March, broccoli from August through February, and strawberry transplants in October and November. The spring guide has bush beans and sweet corn going in from March through April. Late frosts are the North Florida risk, so the spring dates are the ones to respect.
For your own ZIP, the university’s Florida Fresh tool lists what to plant now. And Florida Statutes 604.71 keeps counties and cities from regulating a vegetable garden on residential property; it doesn’t cover associations, so the covenants still apply.
The part nobody tells you: the yard rules arrive at closing
The HOA fee is the number everyone compares, but the architectural guidelines decide what the front yard can become. I ask for them with the HOA documents during the inspection period, so the landscaping plan you have in mind is checked against them before you’re committed.
The fee side of each community is on its own page: Nocatee, SilverLeaf, Shearwater and the St. Johns County CDD map.
Homes for sale in Nocatee
The newest listings, live from the MLS.
Homes for sale in SilverLeaf
The newest listings, live from the MLS.
Homes for sale in Ponte Vedra Beach
Coastal lots, where the salt line matters.
This is the work I do every week. Buying in an HOA community? I'll get the architectural guidelines in front of you before the inspection period ends.
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Broker Associate · Christie's International Real Estate First Coast · 20+ years · 500+ closings
Common questions
Can my HOA stop me from using Florida-friendly landscaping?
No. Florida Statutes 720.3075(4) says an association’s declaration, articles or bylaws may not prohibit, or be enforced to prohibit, an owner from putting in Florida-friendly landscaping as Florida Statutes 373.185 defines it. Section 373.185(3) says the same of any deed restriction or covenant.
Can my HOA fine me for a brown lawn during watering restrictions?
The same two statutes say association documents may not create a requirement that conflicts with the water management district’s rules or a water shortage order. An association can’t require you to water more than the order allows.
Does my HOA still have to approve my landscaping plan?
The statutes protect the choice of Florida-friendly landscaping; they don’t speak to an association’s review process. Most associations here still ask for a plan through architectural review, so read your community’s guidelines and submit before you dig.
What USDA hardiness zone is Jacksonville and St. Augustine?
Zone 9b for most of the area on the USDA’s 2023 map, including Ponte Vedra Beach, Nocatee, St. Augustine, the Jacksonville beaches and Fernandina Beach: an average coldest night of 25 to 30°F. Yulee and Callahan, inland in Nassau County, are 9a (20 to 25°F).
Can my city or county ban a vegetable garden in my yard?
No. Florida Statutes 604.71 says a county or city may not regulate vegetable gardens on residential property, though general rules on water use during droughts, fertilizer and invasive plants still apply. That statute covers local governments, not homeowners associations, so check your community’s documents too.
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Tell me the community. I’ll send its homes and its landscaping rules together.