A quick field guide to the trees and palms you’ll see most around Central Florida. For each one: what it is, how to spot it, and what to watch for. No jargon — just the basics.
The classic Central Florida shade tree — long-lived, wide-spreading, evergreen.
Spot it: Broad rounded crown, often wider than it is tall; small leathery leaves; keeps its leaves year-round.
Care note: Worth preserving. Light structural pruning when young, deadwood every few years when mature. Often protected by local tree ordinances.
Fast-growing oaks you will see in many older neighborhoods.
Spot it: Taller and more upright than live oak, with thinner bark; both drop most of their leaves in late winter.
Care note: Fast growth means weaker wood and shorter lives — they tend to develop decay and weak branch unions. Routine crown cleaning and structural pruning matters here.
A signature Southern evergreen with large white flowers in spring.
Spot it: Big glossy dark-green leaves with a rusty-brown felt underneath; large fragrant blooms.
Care note: Low-maintenance. Prune lightly and only after flowering. Leave the lower skirt of branches if you can — it suits the tree.
A native that thrives along lakes and wet ground — Florida’s wetland classic.
Spot it: Feathery needles that turn rusty and drop in winter (it is deciduous); often has “knees” poking up near water.
Care note: Tough and storm-resistant once established. Very little pruning needed. Great choice for a wet or low spot.
The tall native pines of Central Florida’s flatwoods and ridges.
Spot it: Straight trunks with long needles in bundles; bare lower trunk and a high green crown.
Care note: Keep them healthy and watch for storm risk — tall pines can come down in high wind. Don’t over-thin; remove dead wood and assess leaners after storms.
A small flowering tree planted for long-lasting summer color.
Spot it: Smooth peeling bark, multiple slim trunks, clusters of crinkled summer flowers.
Care note: Never “top” it (sometimes called “crepe murder”) — just remove crossing twigs and spent seed heads. It blooms fine without being hacked back.
A fast-growing shade tree you’ll see in older areas — but it is non-native and can spread.
Spot it: Glossy leaves with a strong camphor smell when crushed; dense rounded canopy.
Care note: Considered weedy and invasive in Florida — it seeds itself into natural areas. Fine to keep an established one, but think twice before planting new ones.
Palms are not hardwoods and should never be pruned like one. The rule for all of them: remove only dead or dying fronds, and never do a “hurricane cut.” See our palm tree services for how we care for them.
Florida’s state tree and the most reliable native palm.
Spot it: Single trunk with a fan-shaped (not feathery) crown; old leaf bases often stay on the trunk.
Care note: Tough, drought- and cold-hardy. Remove only dead or dying fronds. Can be affected by lethal bronzing — watch for older fronds browning upward.
A popular feather-leaved palm used widely in landscapes.
Spot it: Smooth gray trunk topped with graceful, arching feathery fronds.
Care note: Grows well here but needs proper nutrition — it is prone to deficiencies in sandy soil. Also vulnerable to lethal bronzing.
The very tall, skinny fan palm you see towering over rooflines.
Spot it: Slender trunk that gets extremely tall; fan-shaped crown, often with a “skirt” of old fronds.
Care note: Fast but messy, and tall ones are prone to lightning strikes. Remove only dead fronds — don’t “hurricane cut.”
