Pine Island • Lee County
Plant & Shrub Installation in Pine Island, FL
Planting on Pine Island goes easiest when the list starts with what already handles island conditions. The Greater Pine Island community plan, part of Lee County's comprehensive plan, is built around keeping the island's rural character, and its Coastal Rural land-use category ties new residential lots to the permanent preservation or restoration of native upland. That policy governs how land is developed, but the same thinking works in a yard: native and salt-tolerant shrubs like sea grape, cocoplum, silver buttonwood, and firebush ride out salt spray and wind with less care. UF/IFAS describes sea grape as extremely tolerant of salt spray and high winds. Light feeding needs matter here too, because the island is ringed by the Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound aquatic preserves, and Lee County prohibits nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer in unincorporated areas from June 1 through September 30. Hodges sets each plant at the height it grew in its container and mulches right after planting.
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Where it comes up in Pine Island
Bokeelia
Pine Island Center
Matlacha
St. James City
Plants and materials that suit it in Pine Island
Questions
Which shrubs handle salt spray on a bayfront or canal lot?
Sea grape, silver buttonwood, and cocoplum are dependable choices near the water, with firebush and coontie a little farther back. UF/IFAS notes that many plants already growing on coastal land are highly salt-tolerant and can be worked into a landscape.
When is a good time to plant so new shrubs establish?
Planting just before or early in the summer rainy season cuts down on hand watering. In the dry months, the water management district allows extra watering for new plantings for up to 90 days, but confirm how Lee County applies that.
Can I fertilize new plants during the summer?
Not with nitrogen or phosphorus between June 1 and September 30 in unincorporated Lee County. Lee County points residents to alternatives such as compost and mulch during those months, and new plants usually get by fine until fall.