The climate in southern Florida offers property owners the opportunity to grow a variety of beautiful trees that can add beauty, privacy and much-needed shade. Trees are generally very low maintenance plants unless they’re placed poorly. This is why it’s important to carefully plan your South Florida landscape design so you can avoid problems later. Here are a few of the best trees to plant in South Florida.
Live Oak
The live oak is a large native tree that reaches a height of approximately 50 feet. This shade tree is very wind-tolerant which is important in this part of the country where hurricanes often make landfall. Because the roots of this tree need ample room to spread, a Live Oak can become unstable if planted in a small yard.
Pygmy Date Palm
Another wind-tolerant tree that thrives in South Florida is the pygmy date palm. This is a slow-growing feather palm that reaches a height of about ten feet and which features one or more trunks.
Japanese Fern Tree
The Japanese fern tree is a very elegant small tree that provides plenty of shade to yards of any size. This symmetrically-shaped tree reaches a height of about 25 feet making it a good addition to small yard that has full to partial sun.
Gumbo Limbo
The gumbo limbo tree is also called the “tourist tree” due to its red peeling bark that looks like sunburned skin. This wind-tolerant tree takes up quite a bit of space with its thick, low hanging branches, making it ideal for large properties.
Black Olive “Shady Lady”
The shady lady black olive tree is one of the most beautiful trees that thrives in South Florida. As this mid-sized tree matures, it develops into a stunning, well-shaped rounded tree that’s covered with small yellow-beige flowers during the spring.
These are just a few of the many trees that thrive in the hot and humid South Florida climate. If you need assistance in planning the landscape design of your property, the talented team at Zito Landscape Design can help. Just contact us for a consultation or quote. We will work closely with you to develop a beautiful landscape design that’s perfect for your yard.
Zito Landscape Design Can Help You Design Beauty and Privacy Into Your Yard
Depending on your landscape needs, you might want to vary the height of your hedge or privacy screen to make it more visually interesting. That means choosing trees and shrubs of different heights. When you’re looking into shrubs and trees, you’ll also need to consider how much sun and shade they get, as different plants have different needs.
