Naples • Collier County
Landscape Removal & Stump Grinding in Naples, FL
Clearing out an overgrown yard in the Naples area often means pulling plants the county actively wants gone. Collier County's Land Development Code lists prohibited exotics, including Brazilian pepper and Australian pine, and on single-family and Estates lots those must be removed before a certificate of occupancy is issued for a new home or accessory structure. Golden Gate Estates parcels are where this shows up most: thickets of pepper along back lot lines, melaleuca in wet corners. Hodges cuts, grinds stumps below grade, and hauls the debris away rather than leaving piles that resprout. The county also separates exotic removal from native clearing, which generally requires a vegetation removal permit, so if a project touches native trees, ask first. Inside the City of Naples the job is usually tighter: old hedges, dated foundation beds and stumps where Ian's surge in 2022 killed plantings outright.
or call (239) 301-9455
Where it comes up in Naples
North Naples
Aqualane Shores
Royal Harbor
Plants and materials that suit it in Naples
- Brazilian pepper
- Melaleuca (punk tree)
- Australian pine
- Sea grape
- Stump grinding
- Debris haul-away
Questions
Do I have to remove Brazilian pepper on my Golden Gate Estates lot?
Collier County's code lists Brazilian pepper as a prohibited exotic, and removal is required before a certificate of occupancy for new principal or accessory structures. Even without construction, clearing it helps native plants recover. Hodges removes it and grinds the stumps so it does not sprout back.
Do I need a permit to clear my lot in unincorporated Collier County?
Removing native vegetation generally does. Collier County issues vegetation removal permits, and native vegetation cannot be cleared ahead of a building permit on a new home lot. Check with Collier County Growth Management before any native trees come out.
Should I replace shrubs that browned out after storm surge?
Give them a few weeks first. Some plants push new growth once rain flushes salt from sandy soil. If stems stay brittle and no new leaves appear, removal and replanting with species UF/IFAS rates as salt tolerant is usually the better move.