Two terms, one confusion. Here is the honest breakdown.
Florida-Friendly A University of Florida program (Florida-Friendly Landscaping, or FFL) that promotes nine principles — right plant right place, water efficiently, fertilize appropriately, and so on. The approved plant list includes many non-native species that behave well in Florida and are not invasive.
Native A plant that grew here before European arrival — evolved with the local insects, birds, soil biology, and weather. Native plants support far more insect biomass than non-native plants, and insect biomass is what feeds baby songbirds and everything up the food chain.
Why the distinction matters A Florida-Friendly yard uses less water than a St. Augustine lawn — great. A native yard does that AND rebuilds the ecosystem underneath it. The pollinators come back. The songbirds come back. The good bugs eat the bad bugs, and pesticide use collapses.
What we do We design mostly-native landscapes that meet Florida-Friendly principles, then layer in edibles — mostly non-native fruit trees — where they belong. It is not either/or. It is native as the backbone, edible where it earns its space, and Florida-Friendly as the guardrail.
Ask your designer which plants on your plan are actually native to Florida. The answer tells you a lot about what your yard will do for the ecosystem in ten years.