Florida is known as the Sunshine State its beautiful sandy beaches and more sunshine which leads to warm weather. It is also home to Stunning and luscious forests, just like other states in the United States.
However, there are significantly the most common trees in Florida that are found along coastlines and in the yards of some surrounding homes. From shrubs to small trees like redbuds and large live oaks hence, you will find trees for any landscape in Florida.
The city is home to several attractive and durable species of trees of different sizes and looks. Whether you are looking to plant a shade tree, a tree that produces fruit, a native tree, or a tree that will add aesthetic value to your yard with beautiful leaves, crowns, and flowers, you can fulfill your heart’s desire in Florida.
Many tropical and sub-tropical plants that are native to the Caribbean have their northern limit in Florida. The tropical and sub-tropical climate of Florida is perfect for growing trees and plant species that prefer humidity
There are over 460 species of native trees and shrubs in Florida that come in various shapes and sizes. Trees like redbuds, oak, maple, Myrtle, and cypress are some of the most common tree species found in Florida, but you can also find different kinds of pine, gum, and mangrove trees throughout the state.
In this article, we will look at the 10 most common trees found in Florida.
Table of Contents
Most Common Trees in Florida
Florida trees are hardy trees that thrive in the diverse climate of the Sunshine State. But, not all native Florida trees can thrive throughout the state.
Trees that grow well in Florida must tolerate constant sunshine, high humidity, and salty coastal air. In addition, Florida’s climate of mild winters in the south and freezing winter temperatures in the north brings additional challenges.
For example, the native longleaf pine grows well in Central and Northern Florida but may struggle south of Lake Okeechobee.
Are you interested in native trees growing in Florida? If so, discussed below are common trees found in Florida that can also be grown there.
- Japanese Maple Trees
- Live Oak (Quercus Virginiana)
- Florida Pines (Pinus Palustris)
- Native Florida Cypress Trees
- Palm Trees (Arecaceae)
- Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)
- Geiger Tree (Cordia Sebestena)
- Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinans)
- Florida Strangler Fig (Ficus Aurea)
- Dwarf Poinciana (Caesalpinia Pulcherrima)
1. Japanese Maple Trees
Florida is not known to host abundant maple trees. However, quite appreciable number of maple trees can be found in Florida.
In Florida, there are two main types of maple trees found plentiful throughout the city; one is the red maple, and the other is understood as the Florida maple.
The Florida maple is also known as (Acer Floridanum)it is more commonly found throughout the state. It has crisp, winged leaves in warm autumn tones, which makes it a top choice for aesthetic purposes. The Florida maple can grow to a height of 50-60 feet.
Other maple trees do not thrive effectively in Florida due to the hot area they are found, and quick growth from trees like the Silver maple is almost a nuisance for Florida gardeners to deal with.
This is another tree that ought to be effectively cut by professionals. This outstanding blooming tree is one of the most popular trees belonging to the area.
During the fall, the leaves turn a bright red, and there are red berries produced that native birds like. It’s important to prune the tree after it flowers.
2. Live Oak (Quercus Virginiana)
This is a majestic tree often seen in the background of many picture spots in Central Florida. It is a tree that can get extremely large given that it can mature to 60-66 feet tall and stretch out to about 90-100 feet wide.
Its leave is oval and stiff with shiny upper surfaces. The live oak has a lot of branches. If you’re fortunate adequate to have one or two of these in your lawn, they can be a bit difficult to cut, so it’s finest to have a professional deal with any branch trimming, especially before the hurricane season.
3. Florida Pines (Pinus Palustris)
Pine trees are found throughout Florida and can come in various kinds throughout the state. The three most common in Florida are slash pine, loblolly pine, and sand pine. The loblolly and slash pine can grow over 100 feet tall, while the sand pine normally gets to 25 feet only.
They have needle-like leaves. But then, these trees are not ideal for most yards because they produce a lot of sticky sap and can drop a lot of cones also. They offer a significant amount of shade, and the needles shed throughout cold weather.
Most importantly about pine, they are suited to growing in sandy soils and tolerant to heat, humidity, and coastal sea air. In addition, many evergreen pine trees are ideal for shade trees or adding year-round color to a landscape.
4. Native Florida Cypress Trees
Florida is home to two species of native cypress trees the pond cypress and the bald cypress. These deciduous conifers are suited to Florida’s landscape because they thrive in swampy conditions but also tolerate some drought.
You can find an abundance of bald cypress trees (Taxodium Distichum) in Central Florida. This specific type of cypress loves the water and wet soil and provides a habitat for turtles and alligators. It can grow up to a height of 120 feet.
It can thrive on dry soil as well as damp, so it succeeds in cities like Tampa easily to Mount Dora through the canals. It has needle-like leaves shed during the fall months and bloom again in the spring, so cutting it isn’t constant trouble.
As far as large trees go, the bald cypress will do well near water or on drier land throughout the state.
The pond cypress is an attractive cone-bearing tree (conifer) with a columnar or narrowly conical habit. The tree is identified by its grayish bark, soft, bright green needle-like leaves, and horizontally growing branches. Unlike other conifers, the pond cypress drops its leaves in the fall after turning rich orange shades.
Pond cypress trees grow 50-60 feet (15 – 18 m) tall and up to 15 feet (5 m) wide. You can grow pond cypress conifers as shade trees, especially in poorly drained soils.
The pond cypress tree has a grayish trunk that bulges at the base if it grows in swampy, waterlogged soil. It’s identified by its bright green foliage that turns orange and small avoid cones that emerge purple and turn brown.
5. Palm Trees (Arecaceae)
These are perennial tropical and sub-tropical flowering plants belonging to the Palmae family. They can be found in almost every type of habitat in the tropics.
Palm trees produce large, evergreen leaves that are either fan-shaped or feather-shaped. However, there are various types of palm trees in Florida. It’s commonly used as a plant for landscaping.
It has a variety of erect trunks and slender stems that grows anywhere from 25-50 feet high and they grow 2 feet and more each growing season.
6. Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)
Crepe Myrtle is a popular tree located in the southern United States because it can tolerate hot, humid summers. It is a genus tree of approximately 50 evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees endemic to Southeast Asia, northern Australia, and the Indian subcontinent.
It is cultivated in warm climate regions worldwide. The semi-dwarf varieties of crepe myrtles grow as tall as 4 to 8 feet, whereas the large varieties grow up to 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide.
The tree is well-known for its impressive floral displays. Bursts of white, pink, and red flowers occur in clusters, further adding to the beautiful, full look of these trees. The tree produces dark green leaves that turn red, yellow, or to orange during fall.
The Crape Myrtle Tree gets its name from its flower petals, which resemble crepe paper, and the tree blooms in late spring or early summer.
7. Geiger Tree (Cordia Sebestena)
The Geiger tree is a shrubby tree belonging to the Boraginaceae family. It is native to the American tropics and can be found in abundance in southern Florida, the Bahamas, and Central America.
It is a dense, rounded, evergreen tree that can easily tolerate droughts but not frost. It grows up to 25-30 feet tall and over 25 feet wide; it produces long, stiff, dark-green leaves.
Their trunks can even swell up to 12 inches thick! The tree can serve as a commercial and residential tree or even both due to its stunning nature.
8. Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinans)
The black Mangrove is seen more abundant in Florida’s coastlines from the Keys north to Cedar Key on the west coast. It stretches a height of over 60 feet in some areas, but it is found in smaller heights (50 feet) in Florida.
Its leaves are dark trunk and silvery-green in appearance. This tree is a low, shrub-like vegetation mostly found in high saline areas and high tide zones.
9. Florida Strangler Fig (Ficus Aurea)
This is an evergreen tree species belonging to the Moraceae family. It is indigenous to Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. It grows quite rapidly and can reach up to 60 feet in height.
It has broad lower limbs, a rigid trunk, and leathery and oval-shaped leaves with rounded or heart-shaped bases. It can also be referred to as the golden fig
10. Dwarf Poinciana (Caesalpinia Pulcherrima)
This is a species of flowering plant belonging to the Fabaceae family. It is also known as the Barbados flower fence or the Peacock flower.
It has several trunks and in appearance, it looks shrubby, it is a tree that fills the void between shrub and full-grown tree and offers plenty of open-branched and fine-textured beauty.
It is native to the tropics and sub-tropics of North and South America. It grows to a height of 12-15 feet and has low branches. The leaves are feathery, fern-like, and bluish-green, measuring 8 to 10 inches in length.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve learned a bit about the trees most common in Florida. You can as well plant some of these trees around your yard because of their stunning nature and aesthetic value.
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Ahamefula Ascension is a Real Estate Consultant, Data Analyst, and Content writer. He is the founder of Hope Ablaze Foundation and a Graduate of Environmental Management in one of the prestigious colleges in the country. He is obsessed with Reading, Research and Writing.