Tequesta, Florida · 33469
Riverfront and Coastal Landscaping in Tequesta
A small village between the Loxahatchee River and the Atlantic, with its own fertilizer calendar and a tree code that covers every parcel.
Request a Property AssessmentTequesta is a village at the northern edge of Palm Beach County, bordered by the Loxahatchee River and the Intracoastal Waterway. The village has written that its fertilizer rules respond to runoff into endangered or impaired waters, and it is one of the places in the county where a calendar blackout applies. A landscape program here is shaped by the river as much as by the plants, from where fertilizer can go to how a mangrove fringe can be trimmed.
On the coastal side, Coral Cove Park on Beach Road keeps 600 feet of guarded beach and 600 feet of Intracoastal frontage. North of the park, the Town of Jupiter Island lies across the county line in Martin County, so rules there differ from Tequesta's. Partner crews working in Tequesta plan for salt spray near the ocean, brackish soils on the river and a village code that treats tree removal as a permitted act. Owners with property on both sides of the county line can submit each address separately.
The properties
Properties here sort by their edge. A river lot may end in a seawall, a dock or a natural mangrove fringe, and each edge carries different rules and plant choices. An inland lot is governed mainly by the village tree code and the summer fertilizer ban. A property near the ocean side is a salt-spray site first. On waterfront parcels the planting area between house and water is often compressed, which puts beds, lawn and irrigation close to the shoreline and makes fertilizer timing, distance from the water, and salt tolerance the central decisions.
On the ground
What landscapes in Tequesta contend with
Salt spray on the Beach Road side
UF/IFAS advises that anything planted within about one-eighth of a mile of a saltwater coast should be at least somewhat salt tolerant, and that salt-spray damage reaches homes a couple of miles inland. On the barrier island, a program leans on proven species: cabbage palm and saw palmetto for the highest tolerance, live oak and southern red cedar for canopy, and sea oats, muhly grass and beach sunflower in the most exposed beds.
Lethal bronzing in palms
Lethal bronzing is a phytoplasma disease spread by a planthopper, first identified in Florida in 2006 and now known in 21 palm species. UF/IFAS reports that most palms die two to three months after the first symptom, which often starts with fruit drop and bronze lower leaves. A program watches for those signs, sends trunk samples for lab confirmation, removes confirmed palms promptly, and discusses preventive injections for valuable palms nearby.
Ganoderma butt rot
Ganoderma butt rot is a lethal fungal disease that UF/IFAS says can affect all palm species, breaking down the lower four to five feet of the trunk while it stays hard to the touch. Many palms die without ever showing a conk, and there is no cure. When a conk appears, the palm should come out, with the stump ground or removed. Replanting another palm in the same spot is not recommended without precautions.
Local rules
What Tequesta requires
Summaries for planning. The linked source is the authority; rules change.
Tequesta rainy-season fertilizer ban
The village's fertilizer ordinance bars any applicator, company or homeowner, from applying fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus to turf or landscape plants from June 1 to September 30. Commercial applicators must show certification from the Florida Department of Agriculture, and businesses applying fertilizer must hold the Green Industries best management practices training certificate. Golf courses and athletic fields follow separate provisions.
SourceTree removal requires a written application
Tequesta's code aims to protect trees on every parcel in the village, including historic, specimen, native and endangered trees. Anyone removing or replacing a tree must first submit a written application to the Building Department, describing the trees, the extent of any clearing and any replacement planting. Skipping the process can bring code enforcement review and a hearing before the special magistrate.
SourceMangrove trimming limits on the river
Florida's mangrove trimming law lets owners trim mangroves on their own shoreline without a permit only within limits: trees no taller than 10 feet before trimming, cut no lower than 6 feet, on shorelines of 150 feet or less, and no more than 65 percent of the mangroves on longer shorelines. Re-establishing an earlier configuration on mangroves over 10 feet requires a professional mangrove trimmer.
Source
Services in Tequesta
- Estate Landscape MaintenanceMaintenance for Tequesta properties
- Landscape Design & InstallationDesign for Tequesta properties
- IrrigationIrrigation for Tequesta properties
- Tree & Palm CareTrees & Palms for Tequesta properties
- Outdoor LightingLighting for Tequesta properties
- Sod, Hedges & Privacy ScreeningSod & Hedges for Tequesta properties
- Seasonal ColorSeasonal Color for Tequesta properties
- HOA & Property ManagementHOA for Tequesta properties
Landscaping in Tequesta: questions
Can our lawn be fertilized in summer?
Not with nitrogen or phosphorus. Tequesta's ordinance bars applying fertilizer containing either nutrient to turf or landscape plants from June 1 to September 30, for homeowners and companies alike. A summer program shifts to mowing, irrigation adjustment and pest scouting, with feeding scheduled for spring and after the ban lifts in October.
Do we need a permit to take down a tree?
Yes. The village asks anyone removing or replacing a tree to submit a written application to the Building Department first, with the tree locations, any clearing and any replacement trees. Under state law, owners with written documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect that a tree poses an unacceptable risk can remove it without a local permit.
Can the mangroves along our river frontage be trimmed?
Within limits set by state law. On a shoreline of 150 feet or less, mangroves no taller than 10 feet can be trimmed to no lower than 6 feet without a permit; longer shorelines are capped at 65 percent of the mangroves. Taller trees or larger projects need a professional mangrove trimmer or state authorization, so the request should note the shoreline length.
Our second property is on Jupiter Island. Can we use the same request?
Submit it as its own request. The Town of Jupiter Island is in Martin County, so its permits and ordinances are separate from Tequesta's. The network routes each address to partners whose coverage includes it, and availability on the Martin County side depends on that coverage.
Nearby estate towns
Sources for this page
- Tequesta is bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway and the Loxahatchee River: www.islands.com
- Tequesta fertilizer ordinance: rainy season ban June 1 - Sept 30 for N and/or P; FDACS certification; GI-BMP training certificate; golf courses/athletic fields separate; responds to runoff into endangered or impaired waters: tequesta.org
- Tequesta tree removal: written application to Building Department; protects historic, specimen, native and endangered trees; Sec. 50-233; code enforcement and special magistrate: tequesta.org
- Tequesta tree permit application form citing Sec. 50-233: www.tequesta.org
- Coral Cove Park, 1600 Beach Road, Tequesta 33469; 600 ft guarded beach; 600 ft Intracoastal frontage: discover.pbc.gov
- Town of Jupiter Island is on a barrier island at the south end of Martin County: townofjupiterisland.com
- Mangrove trimming exemption limits: 10 ft pretrimmed, not below 6 ft, shoreline 150 ft or less, 65 percent cap, professional mangrove trimmer over 10 ft for reestablishment: www.flsenate.gov
- F.S. 163.045 hazardous tree documentation exemption: www.flsenate.gov
- Plants within ~1/8 mile of saltwater should be salt tolerant; salt-spray damage within a couple of miles; salt-tolerant species: gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu
- Lethal bronzing: phytoplasma, identified in Florida 2006, 21 palm species, planthopper vector, death 2-3 months after first symptom, testing and removal, OTC injections: edis.ifas.ufl.edu
- Ganoderma butt rot: affects all palms, lower 4-5 ft of trunk, trunk stays hard, no cure, remove palm and stump, avoid replanting palm in same spot: edis.ifas.ufl.edu
- Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1: www.nhc.noaa.gov
- South Florida dry season runs November through May; wet season roughly late May to mid-October: sfwmd.gov
Property assessment
Request an assessment in Tequesta
- 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