Tree work, weather, and Florida history.
Timely commentary from the canopy: Florida hurricane histories, allergy seasons, neighbor-tree disputes, the Edison royal palms, and the field observations that don't fit in the reference articles.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Tree Removal in Florida? The 2026 Rules
The short answer: usually only if the tree hit something covered — and even then the payout is often capped at $500 per tree. Here's how Florida policies actually treat tree removal in 2026, what the 2022–2023 reforms changed, and what Southwest Florida learned from Ian.
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The 10 Most Dangerous Trees on a Florida Lot
Most of the trees we remove on emergency calls aren't dead — they looked fine from across the yard. Here are the 10 we see most often in the emergency queue, in roughly the order they show up.
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What the Last Five Florida Hurricanes Taught Us About Trees
Charley, Wilma, Irma, Michael, Ian. Five major storms in twenty years, each with post-event species surveys. The same species ranking emerged every time — and the data has implications for what you replant.
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What a Mature Live Oak Is Actually Worth (the Real Number)
Tree appraisal sounds arcane until you see the math. A heritage live oak on a typical Southwest Florida residential lot is often valued at $20,000–$50,000+ using formal appraisal methods. Here's how the number gets calculated — and why it matters for insurance, real-estate, and HOA disputes.
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Why HOAs Get Tree Budgets Wrong (and the Three-Year Fix)
Most Southwest Florida HOA tree budgets follow the same arc: five years of deferred maintenance, then a surprise emergency removal that blows out the reserve. The fix isn't more money — it's a different budgeting structure.
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Tree-Inspection Red Flags You Can Spot From the Driveway
An arborist's first walk around a property is mostly observational. Here are the visual cues we check on every property — in roughly the order we check them. None require equipment more sophisticated than your eyes and 60 seconds of attention per tree.
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Trees That Make Florida Sneeze: A Pollen Calendar
Oak pollen in March, melaleuca year-round, and the surprisingly low-pollen alternatives most homeowners don't know about. A Southwest Florida tree allergy guide for people whose eyes itch from January through July.
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Cat 4 made landfall at Cayo Costa on September 28, 2022. Three years later, the species ranking from the post-storm field surveys tells a clear story: live oaks stood, queen palms fell, and the lessons for replanting are obvious.
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Hurricane Charley, 20+ Years Later: The Punta Gorda Canopy Now
August 13, 2004. A Cat 4 took a hard right turn at the last minute and put Charlotte Harbor directly in its path. Two decades later, the recovery story is in the trees — and it's worth knowing before the next hurricane.
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Why Your Neighbor's Queen Palm Will Hit Your Roof
Queen palms top the post-hurricane failure list in every major Florida storm. If your neighbor has one within fall-distance of your house, the math is uncomfortable. Here's how to have the conversation — and what the law says about who pays.
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The Edison Royal Palms: A Century of Florida Tree History
Thomas Edison ordered the original McGregor Boulevard royal palms planted around 1908. Today's row is a mix of originals, replacements, and ongoing additions. Here's the story of one of the most famous tree plantings in the United States.
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