Tree service for south Lakeland — big lots, old groves and the Highlands
South of the Polk Parkway the lots get bigger, the old citrus groves turn into subdivisions, and the trees are a mix of grove-edge oaks, planted laurel oaks and the pines that came with the sand.
South Lakeland runs from the Polk Parkway down US-98 South and Lakeland Highlands Road to the Mulberry line: Lakeland Highlands (12,000 people on the old ridge groves), Medulla (11,000, toward Mulberry), Highland City (12,000 along US-98 and the Fort Fraser Trail), Christina, the Scott Lake neighborhoods and the subdivisions that replaced the citrus along Lakeland Highlands Road through the 1980s–2000s. The lots are bigger than the historic districts, the houses newer, and the trees are three kinds: the grove-edge and fencerow live oaks that were there before the subdivisions; the laurel oaks, queen palms and sabals the developers planted in the '80s and '90s, now 30-plus years old and starting to fail; and the slash pines on the sandy ground that didn't get cleared.
The work here is mostly scheduled rather than emergency: hurricane-prep pruning on the big oaks over the lanais, removal of the developer-planted laurel oaks as they hollow, lethal-bronzing removals in the palm-heavy subdivisions, dead-pine removal on the larger lots, and stump grinding for people replanting. South Lakeland also took Milton's heaviest rain — more than twelve inches in 24 hours in parts of the city — and the saturated ground is why so many root plates heaved in October 2024. After a storm we work the Highlands and Medulla the same as the historic districts: structures first, access second, yards third.
What we do in South Lakeland
Hurricane prep on big oaks
Thinning, deadwooding and weight reduction over lanais and pool cages on the larger lots.
Developer-planted laurel oaks
The '80s and '90s laurel oaks are 30–40 years old and hollowing; assessed and removed as they earn it.
Lethal bronzing
Queen and sabal removals in the palm-heavy subdivisions, with prevention advice for the neighbors.
Dead pines
Beetle-killed and lightning-struck slash pines on the acreage and grove-edge lots.
Stumps & replanting
Grinding and site prep for owners replacing what the storm or the beetles took.
Post-storm cleanup
Root-plate heaves and downed oaks after the saturated-ground storms.
Neighborhoods and areas we cover
- Lakeland Highlands
- Medulla
- Highland City
- Christina
- Scott Lake
- Hallam Preserve
- Grasslands
- Oakbridge
- Lakeland Highlands Road corridor
- US-98 South corridor
- Fort Fraser Trail
- Polk Parkway (south)
Tree services available in South Lakeland
- Tree removal, 24/7 emergency service, crane removal
- Trimming & pruning, oak care, palm trimming
- Palm removal & lethal bronzing, dead pine removal, stump grinding
- Hurricane prep, storm cleanup, land clearing
Questions from South Lakeland homeowners
The oaks the builder planted in 1992 are dropping limbs. Normal?
If they're laurel oaks, yes — that's the species reaching the end at 30 to 50 years. If they're live oaks, no, and we should look. The leaf tells you which; send a photo.
Why did so many trees heave over in Milton here?
Twelve inches of rain in a day saturated the sand, and a root plate in wet sand holds nothing. Trees with shallow roots — pines, laurel oaks, anything with construction-damaged roots — went over whole. A heaved tree that's still standing has moved and should be assessed.
How much to prep the two big oaks over my lanai before the season?
Thinning and weight reduction on a mature oak runs $300–$1,200 per tree depending on size and what's under it. Two over a cage are usually $1,000–$2,000 together, and it's best done March through May.
Is my queen palm's bronzing lethal bronzing?
If it starts at the oldest fronds, moves fast and the spear leaf dies, yes. Slow yellowing from the bottom with a live spear is usually a potassium deficiency and fixable. We'll tell you which on the estimate.
Nearby: Mulberry & Fort Meade · Bartow · Historic Lakeland · East Lakeland · full service area