Pine Island • Lee County
Palm Installation in Pine Island, FL
Palms are part of Pine Island's working landscape as well as its yards. The island has palm and tropical-fruit nurseries, and after Hurricane Ian, UF/IFAS Lee County Extension sampled palms from island growers for disease while also surveying storm damage so it could rank landscape palms by how well they survive hurricanes. On a home lot, wind is the main design problem. A palm set too deep or left unsupported is more likely to lean or fail early, so Hodges plants each one at the depth it grew in the nursery and braces it with padded wood blocks strapped to the trunk, never nailed into it. Sabal palms, Florida's state tree, are notably sensitive to being planted too deep. On canal and bayfront lots facing Pine Island Sound or Matlacha Pass, salt-tolerant natives such as sabal and Florida thatch palm are safer picks than palms that need protection from salt spray.
or call (239) 301-9455
Where it comes up in Pine Island
St. James City
Pineland
Matlacha
Plants and materials that suit it in Pine Island
Questions
Should I cut my palms back hard before hurricane season?
No. UF/IFAS research found that the so-called hurricane cut weakens palms and can leave them more vulnerable to storm damage. Remove only fully brown fronds hanging below horizontal; green and partly green fronds are still feeding the palm.
Do new palms need fertilizer, given the county's summer ban?
Most palm fertilizers contain nitrogen and phosphorus, which unincorporated Lee County prohibits from June 1 through September 30. Schedule palm feedings for spring and fall, outside that window, and use a product formulated for palms.
Which palms take salt spray best near the water?
Native sabal palms and Florida thatch palms are good bets on exposed waterfront lots. Save less tolerant ornamental palms for spots shielded by the house or a hedge of sea grape or buttonwood.