Landscaping

Cielo Drive Restored Grass AreasForestry can answer questions regarding existing landscaping on common area property within residential developments, on commercial and industrial sites, and other non-residential uses.

There are many organizations that can assist you with selection of an arborist:

Preserving Your Landscape in Cold Weather

Florida winters can sometimes bring quite cold temperatures, putting native vegetation at risk. The recent cold weather has had a noticeable effect on some of our landscape plants that has not been seen for years in Palm Beach Gardens. We may have more cold on the way, so here are some tips on preparing for the cold and dealing with damage after the cold temperatures.

Preparing your plants for cold temperatures:

  • Cover tender plants with sheets, blankets or plastic (do not let plastic touch the plants, and remove it early in the morning before the sun gets too intense)
  • For the long term, healthy, properly fertilized plants will suffer less damage, and recover more quickly from cold temperatures
  • If they are in containers, bring plants inside the house or put in the garage overnight
  • Make sure plants are well watered before the cold arrives
  • For more information visit the University of Florida - Cold Protection of Landscape Plants

After the cold, the damage on some plants may be noticed immediately, and on others it may take a week or more before the damage is evident. Damage may be severe on some tropical plants, and may completely kill some of them. Remember, Palm Beach Gardens is at the northern edge of the range for some tropical plants. Plants such as Ixora may lose all their leaves. Dead or dropped leaves may be kept in plant beds as mulch or cleaned up and composted if they will cause problems with lawn grass or inhibit irrigation.

Here are some tips on helping your plants recover from the cold:

  • For palms, remove only the totally brown fronds that may fall or become a safety issue. Leave any partially green fronds to help supply energy for re-growth of new fronds later
  • Wait to see where the plants start growing before doing any pruning to remove dead branches. You may expose them to more damage, or remove live parts if you act too quickly
  • For more information visit the University of Florida - Cold Damage on Palms

For more information visit the University of Florida - Treating Cold-Damaged Plants or contact the Palm Beach Gardens Forestry Division.

Invasive Exotics

Invasive exotic plants are non-native plants that can alter native plant communities by displacing native species, causing environmental or economic harm. The City of Palm Beach Gardens has specific prohibited plants and non-native exotic plants. Review the Prohibited and Invasive Plant List in Section 78-318 of the Land Development Regulations.

Tree Pruning

The City of Palm Beach Gardens has specific standards for tree pruning in Section 78-328. Pruning of the Land Developments Regulations, which limit and define the type of pruning allowed to establish healthy, strong trees and palms. Also, there are many reasons for tree pruning, safety being the primary one. Please review the information on Crape Myrtle Pruning.