Landscape Architects Jacksonville FL
Licensed Landscape Architecture, Land Planning & Irrigation Design for Jacksonville and Northeast Florida Development Projects
Jacksonville is one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the Southeast—and one of the most technically complex markets to design in. The combination of flood-prone low-lying terrain, strict Duval County tree protection ordinances, sandy and clay-heavy native soils, and coastal storm exposure creates a development environment where landscape architecture decisions have real consequences for permitting timelines, long-term maintenance costs, and project approvals.
Evergreen Design Group is a Florida-licensed landscape architecture firm (FL License 6666711) that has been delivering land planning, landscape architecture, and irrigation design for development projects since 2005. We work directly with architects, civil engineers, land developers, and design-build contractors across Jacksonville, Duval County, St. Johns County, and the broader Northeast Florida region. We don’t design projects for homeowners. Our practice is built around the needs of development professionals—and our project delivery process reflects that.
What Makes Jacksonville a Technically Demanding Market for Landscape Architects
Flooding, Drainage, and Low-Lying Terrain
Jacksonville consistently ranks among Florida’s most flood-vulnerable urban areas. Much of Duval County sits in or adjacent to FEMA-designated flood zones, with a topography that holds water rather than sheds it. For development projects, stormwater management isn’t an afterthought—it’s a primary design driver. Our land planning and landscape architecture work integrates directly with civil engineering drainage strategies, incorporating bioswales, rain gardens, graded buffer areas, and permeable paving systems that reduce pressure on city infrastructure and satisfy St. Johns River Water Management District requirements.
Jacksonville’s Tree Protection Ordinance and the Tree Commission
The City of Jacksonville administers one of the more detailed tree protection programs in North Florida through its Tree Commission. Protected species require documentation, mitigation ratios vary by tree type and size, and removal approvals must be supported by professional tree disposition plans. Projects that come to the table without a thorough tree survey and a clear disposition strategy routinely face delays. Our team knows what the reviewers look for and how to structure plans that move through the process efficiently.
Sandy and Clay-Heavy Native Soils
Duval County soils vary considerably across the city—from the Duval fine sand series common in inland areas to heavier, clay-influenced profiles in other parts of the county. Both present challenges for plant establishment, irrigation performance, and long-term root health. Our planting and irrigation specifications are built around actual site soil conditions, not generic Florida assumptions.
Coastal Storm and Salt Spray Exposure
Jacksonville’s proximity to the Atlantic coast and the St. Johns River estuary means that coastal storm exposure and salt spray affect plant selection and hardscape material specifications on a broad range of projects—not just those directly on the water. We specify wind- and salt-tolerant plant material and detail anchoring and reinforcement strategies for hardscape elements that need to perform over the long term.
Landscape Architecture Services in Jacksonville, FL
Evergreen Design Group provides a complete scope of landscape architecture and related design services for development projects in Jacksonville and across Northeast Florida. We operate as a single-source partner—one point of contact for the full landscape scope, from initial land planning through permit-ready construction documents.
We evaluate site topography, drainage patterns, existing vegetation, utility corridors, zoning requirements, and adjacent land uses to develop land plans that support your project’s development objectives and move efficiently through the City of Jacksonville and Duval County review processes. For larger mixed-use or master-planned projects, our land planning work establishes the framework that the rest of the design disciplines build on.
Jacksonville’s Tree Commission requirements mean that virtually every development project involving site clearing needs a professionally prepared tree disposition plan. We document existing trees, identify protected species, establish canopy calculations, and develop preservation and mitigation strategies that satisfy city review requirements. Getting this right early in the design process prevents the redesign cycles that cost time and money later.
Our Jacksonville planting plans are built around species appropriate for local soil conditions, storm exposure, and long-term maintainability. We coordinate with your civil engineer on grading and drainage, and deliver construction documents at a level of detail that landscape contractors can build from directly—without extensive interpretation or field-level guesswork.
Our licensed irrigation designers develop complete, code-compliant irrigation systems calibrated to Jacksonville’s climate, soil conditions, and local water management requirements—including St. Johns River Water Management District water use permit conditions where applicable. Reclaimed water system compatibility, seasonal watering restrictions, and zone-by-zone plant material matching are all addressed in our irrigation construction documents.
From pedestrian plazas and entry features to pool decks, trail systems, and amenity centers, our hardscape designs are specified for durability in Jacksonville’s climate. Material selections account for humidity, UV exposure, and drainage performance. For multifamily and master-planned community projects, our amenity designs are frequently a key differentiator in the market positioning of the development.
Project Types We Support in Jacksonville
Master-Planned Communities and Residential Subdivisions — comprehensive landscape and land planning coordination across Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, and Clay counties
Multi-Family Residential — apartments, condominiums, and townhome communities requiring amenity design, buffer planting, tree disposition, and irrigation
Active Adult and Senior Living Communities — accessible landscape design meeting both regulatory requirements and livability expectations
Commercial and Mixed-Use Developments — retail, restaurant, office, hospitality, and mixed-use projects where landscape design supports site identity, drainage performance, and code compliance
Industrial and Logistics Facilities — functional, low-maintenance landscape design for warehouses, distribution centers, and light manufacturing sites, with focus on stormwater, screening buffers, and long-term durability
Civic and Institutional Projects — schools, municipal facilities, parks, and government buildings requiring durable, accessible, code-compliant landscape design
Working with Evergreen Design Group in Jacksonville
We’ve been working in Northeast Florida long enough to know that Jacksonville projects have their own rhythm—specific review processes at the City of Jacksonville Development Services Division, Tree Commission coordination requirements, and St. Johns River Water Management District permitting that affects how and when landscape and drainage strategies get locked in.
Our team coordinates directly with your civil engineers, architects, and contractors. We attend project meetings, respond to RFIs, and keep design documentation moving at the pace your schedule requires. For larger development programs with multiple phases or concurrent projects across the Jacksonville metro, our program management capability gives you consistent documentation standards and a single firm accountable for the full landscape scope. As a national firm licensed in 44 states, we can also support your development pipeline beyond Jacksonville and Florida as your portfolio grows or diversifies geographically.
Frequently Asked Questions — Landscape Architecture in Jacksonville, FL
Yes. Florida Statute Chapter 481 requires that landscape plans for commercial, multifamily, and certain other project types be prepared and sealed by a Florida-licensed landscape architect. The City of Jacksonville’s zoning and development code further specifies landscape requirements for commercial and mixed-use projects, including buffer widths, tree canopy requirements, and planting minimums.
The City of Jacksonville Tree Commission oversees enforcement of Jacksonville’s tree protection ordinance. Any development project that involves the removal, relocation, or impact of protected trees requires a tree disposition plan reviewed by the Commission. Protected trees include heritage trees and specimen trees above certain size thresholds, and mitigation ratios apply when protected trees are removed. The process requires early documentation and can affect site planning decisions if not addressed proactively.
A significant portion of the Jacksonville metro lies within FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas. From a landscape architecture standpoint, this affects grading strategy, plant selection, drainage infrastructure, and hardscape specifications. It also intersects with St. Johns River Water Management District permitting, which governs stormwater management for most development projects in the region. Our team integrates stormwater management into the landscape design from the start of the project—not as an afterthought.
Yes—that’s the standard model for how we engage. The vast majority of our Jacksonville projects involve direct coordination with a civil engineering firm and, where applicable, an architecture firm. We actively coordinate on shared deliverables including grading plans, drainage design, building interface details, and site utility layouts.
In addition to the City of Jacksonville and Duval County, we regularly work on projects in St. Johns County (including Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, and St. Augustine), Nassau County, Clay County, and the broader Northeast Florida and First Coast region.
We serve every area of Pasco County—including Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, Zephyrhills, Dade City, New Port Richey, Port Richey, Holiday, Hudson, and the unincorporated areas throughout the county’s interior and coastal zones. We also regularly work on projects in adjacent Hillsborough County (Tampa, Brandon, Riverview) and Hernando County as part of broader Tampa Bay region development programs.
Let’s Talk About Your Jacksonville Project
If you’re working on a development project in Jacksonville or Northeast Florida and need a landscape architect with local knowledge, Florida licensure, and the capacity to deliver at any project scale, we’d like to hear about it.
Contact Us— or call us directly at (800) 680-6630.
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