Jupiter, Florida · 33477, 33458
Estate Landscaping in Jupiter
A Jupiter estate may face the Atlantic, the Intracoastal or the Loxahatchee River, and each shoreline carries its own rules for plants and light.
Request a Property AssessmentWater defines Jupiter. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse stands within a federally designated Outstanding Natural Area, the only unit of the National Conservation Lands east of the Mississippi. Upstream, the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River became Florida's first National Wild and Scenic River in 1985. Admirals Cove and Jonathan's Landing sit on the Intracoastal, and the Loxahatchee Club is built around a Jack Nicklaus course. Partner crews working in Jupiter plan for mangrove shorelines, beachfront lighting and fertilizer limits as part of ordinary maintenance.
The town's rules are specific. Fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus is barred from June 1 through September 30. Mangrove removal is not permitted by the town, and trimming follows state law, with town staff authorized to stop work that violates it. Where a landscape plan applies, at least half of all trees, shrubs and groundcover must be native species recognized by the South Florida Water Management District. A program written for a Jupiter property has those lines drawn in from the start.
The properties
Admirals Cove mixes golf villas, custom estates and waterfront homes with private docks, while Jonathan's Landing adds townhomes and condominiums to its single-family streets. The Loxahatchee Club sets homes around its golf course and freshwater lakes. Older neighborhoods without a development approval have more latitude: on a developed lot there, the town does not require approval to remove trees or vegetation, while HOA communities route those decisions through the association and the town handles street trees and common areas.
On the ground
What landscapes in Jupiter contend with
Mangroves at the water's edge
State law lets a homeowner trim riparian fringe mangroves, where the fringe is no deeper than 50 feet from the most landward trunk, without a permit if they are no taller than 10 feet and are not cut below 6 feet. Trees up to 24 feet need a professional mangrove trimmer, and trees 16 feet or taller must be trimmed in stages, with no more than a quarter of the foliage removed each year. Shorelines longer than 150 feet are limited to 65 percent of the mangroves.
Clearing invasives with a permit in hand
Jupiter defines prohibited plants as Category I invasive species listed by the state exotic pest plant council, plus species named in its code. Removing exotic or prohibited plants requires a vegetation removal permit application, which lets the town verify what is coming out and protect native trees that should stay. A program maps Brazilian pepper and other invasives first, files before any cutting, and replants with natives.
Landscape lighting on the beach side
Uplit palms and path lights that read well from a terrace can also be seen from the sand. FWC's wildlife lighting criteria are to keep fixtures low, fully shielded so the lamp is not directly visible, and fitted with long-wavelength amber, orange or red sources above 560 nanometers, and it notes that turning off unnecessary lights is the simplest fix. Beach-side lighting plans start from those criteria rather than adapting a standard design.
Local rules
What Jupiter requires
Summaries for planning. The linked source is the authority; rules change.
Fertilizer ban, June 1 to September 30
Section 23-127 bars fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus between June 1 and September 30, and at any time during the town's other prohibited application periods or on saturated soil. Nitrogen and phosphorus are also prohibited before seeding or sodding and for the first 30 days after. Programs for Jupiter properties close summer feeding by the end of May and resume in October.
SourceMangrove trimming and removal
The town does not permit mangrove removal, and Section 26-124 requires all trimming to follow Florida Department of Environmental Protection rules, with town staff empowered to issue a stop-work order. Under state law, a homeowner may trim riparian fringe mangroves up to 10 feet tall to no lower than 6 feet; taller trees, up to 24 feet, require a professional mangrove trimmer.
SourceBeachfront lighting permit
Jupiter is among the municipalities where Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management requires a permit when any light source is replaced or installed within the Sea Turtle Protection Zone. Nesting season runs from March through October. Because the rule reaches any light source, landscape fixtures are included, so beach-side lighting changes go through county review.
Source
Services in Jupiter
- Estate Landscape MaintenanceMaintenance for Jupiter properties
- Landscape Design & InstallationDesign for Jupiter properties
- IrrigationIrrigation for Jupiter properties
- Tree & Palm CareTrees & Palms for Jupiter properties
- Outdoor LightingLighting for Jupiter properties
- Sod, Hedges & Privacy ScreeningSod & Hedges for Jupiter properties
- Seasonal ColorSeasonal Color for Jupiter properties
- HOA & Property ManagementHOA for Jupiter properties
Landscaping in Jupiter: questions
Can I trim the mangroves behind my house?
Usually, within limits. The town does not allow removal and defers trimming to state law. In a riparian mangrove fringe, a homeowner may trim mangroves no taller than 10 feet, and not below 6 feet, without a permit. Taller mangroves, up to 24 feet, can be trimmed under the exemption only by a professional mangrove trimmer. Mangroves outside a riparian fringe need a permit and a professional trimmer.
Do I need town approval to remove a tree in Jupiter?
It depends on your neighborhood. In an HOA community with a development approval, a tree on your own lot needs only HOA approval, but street trees and common-area vegetation need a town Vegetation Removal Permit applied for by the HOA. In older neighborhoods without a development approval, a developed lot needs no town approval. Removing exotic or prohibited plants requires a permit application.
What does the native plant requirement mean for a new landscape?
Where Jupiter's landscape code applies, at least 50 percent of each plant type, trees, shrubs and groundcover, must be native material listed by the South Florida Water Management District. No more than half of the trees on site may be palms, and substitutions may only add native material beyond that minimum. New plants must meet Florida Number One grade or better.
Is Jupiter Island part of Jupiter?
No. The Town of Jupiter Island and Jupiter Inlet Colony are separate municipalities with their own codes and their own lighting rules, even though addresses and conversation often blur them. The rules on this page apply to the Town of Jupiter. A property's jurisdiction should be confirmed before any permit, schedule or fertilizer plan is set.
Nearby estate towns
Sources for this page
- Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area is congressionally designated; only unit of National Conservation Lands east of the Mississippi: www.blm.gov
- Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1985, Florida's first: www.sfwmd.gov
- Admirals Cove on the Intracoastal in Jupiter; golf villas, custom estates, waterfront homes with private docks: meyerlucas.com
- Jonathan's Landing on the Intracoastal in Jupiter; single-family, townhomes and condominiums: linksmagazine.com
- The Loxahatchee Club, Jupiter, Jack Nicklaus design: nicklausdesign.com
- The Loxahatchee Club community includes freshwater lakes: www.nvrealtygroup.com
- Jupiter Section 23-127: no N or P June 1 to September 30, other prohibited periods, saturated soil, before/30 days after seeding or sodding: library.municode.com
- Jupiter Section 26-124: mangrove trimming/removal must follow DEP rules; stop-work authority: library.municode.com
- Jupiter FAQ: mangrove removal not permitted by the town; tree removal rules by neighborhood type; exotic removal permit: jupiter.fl.us
- Jupiter Section 23-96: 50 percent native per plant type per SFWMD; palms max 50 percent of trees; substitutions add native; Florida No. 1 grade: library.municode.com
- Jupiter prohibited plant species definition (Category I invasives): library.municode.com
- Mangrove trimming exemptions: 10 ft/6 ft, 24 ft with PMT, 150 ft shoreline/65 percent, staged trimming for 16 ft+: www.flsenate.gov
- Riparian mangrove fringe definition (50 ft waterward): www.flsenate.gov
- Mangroves outside a riparian fringe need a permit and a PMT: floridadep.gov
- PBC ERM requires a lighting permit in Jupiter's Sea Turtle Protection Zone; nesting season March through October: discover.pbc.gov
- FWC wildlife lighting criteria: low, shielded, long-wavelength above 560 nm; turning off lights simplest: myfwc.com
- Town of Jupiter Island has its own lighting rules: townofjupiterisland.com
- Jupiter Inlet Colony is a separate municipality with its own sea turtle protection page: www.jupiterinletcolony.gov
- Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30: www.nhc.noaa.gov
Property assessment
Request an assessment in Jupiter
- 01Tell us about the propertyTown, property type and what you'd like looked after. Two minutes.
- 02A partner walks the groundsTurf, beds, palms, irrigation and drainage, with you, your manager or staff.
- 03You receive a written programScope, visit schedule and price in writing, before any work begins.
Prefer to talk it through? (561) 319-1104