Two kinds of damage: eating and digging
Landscaping takes iguana damage two different ways, and a heavily-populated yard gets both at once. As herbivores, iguanas strip flowers, fruit, and soft new growth, and a group can defoliate a prized shrub in days. Then there's the burrowing, which tears up beds, severs roots, and undermines edging, borders, and pavers.
The plants that get hit hardest in Palm Beach County landscapes are the showy, tender favorites — hibiscus, bougainvillea, orchids, and fresh turf — while a fruit tree draws them for both the fruit and the climb.
The nicer the yard, the bigger the target
There's a frustrating irony to it: the more manicured and lush a property is, the more attractive it is to iguanas. Dense beds against a seawall or a community lake give the animals food and cover in the same footprint, so the plantings simultaneously feed them and conceal their burrows.
That's why the worst-hit yards are often the best-kept ones, and why simply replanting what got eaten, without addressing the animals, tends to just reset the buffet.
What actually reduces the damage
Owners who want to keep an attractive yard usually combine several tactics rather than relying on any one.
- Cage or net prized specimens while the population is being reduced
- Shift the most-grazed beds toward tougher, less palatable, aromatic plants
- Remove the resident iguanas so daily grazing and digging stop
- Collapse burrows in and around beds so edging and roots aren't undermined
Why plant choice alone isn't enough
No plant is truly iguana-proof if the animals are hungry and established, and swapping every bed to unpalatable species usually isn't what an owner wants their yard to look like. Plant choice helps at the margins, but removing the resident population is what lets the landscaping actually recover and stay recovered.
Common questions
What plants do iguanas destroy most?
Flowering ornamentals and tender foliage — hibiscus, bougainvillea, orchids, and fresh turf top the list — along with backyard fruit trees. Gardens full of those draw the most complaints because they offer the softest, most colorful growth.
Can I save my garden without removing the iguanas?
Caging specimens and switching to less-palatable plants helps, but as long as iguanas are denning on the property they'll keep grazing and digging, so removal is usually part of any fix that actually lasts.
Will my plants grow back after iguanas are removed?
Often yes. Many ornamentals recover once the daily browsing stops and they're protected while they regrow. The key is ending the grazing, not just replanting into the same pressure.
