Sustainable Tree Maintenance

PLANTING for your safety
- Always call Sunshine 811 to locate underground utilities before you dig.
- Stay away from power lines. Opens a New Window.
- Trees (and palms) that are too close to power lines...
  - can transmit electricity through their trunks and down to their roots into your yard.
  - can catch on fire. The Fire Department can’t put out the fire until FPL shuts off the power.
  - can cause you to lose power.
- FPL will come into your yard and cut your trees away from their lines. Opens a New Window.
PROTECTINGyour home
- Plant trees at a safe distance from your house Opens a New Window. to avoid damage.
- Roots can interrupt your water service.
- Large tree roots can buckle patios, driveways and walkways. Opens a New Window.
- Large tree roots can damage your pool and pool equipment. Opens a New Window.
- Tree branches and palm fronds can damage your screen enclosure. Opens a New Window.

PRUNING to establish a wind-resistant landscape
- Start training trees when they are young to create strong structure.
- Leave most of the foliage in the lower half of the canopy to anchor the tree.
- Removing too many lower limbs makes the tree top-heavy.
- Top-heavy trees fall over.
- Avoid removing branches and foliage inside the canopy.
PLANNING by selecting wind-resistant trees & palms
- Decide what type of tree to plant – shade, ornamental or fruit
- Will the tree you select thrive or die in our climate? Check the USDA zone or ask an expert.
- Select quality trees from the nursery.
- Make sure to give roots and canopies room to expand so your tree will grow.
- Large growing trees & palms need lots of space.
- Trees next to curbs and driveways don’t have enough room to grow and will fall in high winds. (minimum soil space 30’ x 30’).

Visit the City's Demonstration Sites at Spanish River Park and Countess deHoernle Park! Thanks to a grant from the USDA Forest Service in cooperation with the Florida Forest Service the City replaced 52 trees lost during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Over the next 25 years these trees will:

Reduce over 146,000 lbs. of atmospheric CO2. (equivalent to emissions from powering 8 homes)
Intercept 1.3 million gallons of stormwater.
Provide $17,844 worth of benefits to the City.
The species planted were chosen based on their demonstrated ability to be resilient to hurricane force winds. The trees are: Gumbo Limbo, Strangler Fig, Silver Buttonwood, Green Buttonwood, Mastic, Paradisetree, Seagrape, Bald Cypress, Live Oak.

Values provided by iTree Design and CO2 equivalency provided by the U.S. EPA Equivalencies Calculator.

Sustainable Tree Maintenance

Be a part of something BIGGER in Boca Raton

Use the guidelines and resources below to make sure the trees on your property are sustainable and resilient!

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