Tree Service in Bonita Springs, FL

Tree Service in Bonita Springs has been shaped by two very different storms. In September 2017, Hurricane Irma's eye passed directly over the city as a slow-moving Category 3, and the damage that followed was as much about water as wind, with significant flooding along the Imperial River. Five years later Hurricane Ian pushed an estimated 8 to 12 feet of surge into Bonita Beach and the low parts of town. Fort Myers Tree Service Pros helps Bonita homeowners sort out what those storms left behind and get the remaining trees ready for the next one.

Which trees held up

Researchers at UF/IFAS who studied trees after Florida hurricanes found big differences between species. Live oak, sand live oak, gumbo limbo, buttonwood, cabbage palm and baldcypress rank among the most wind resistant. Australian pine, melaleuca, queen palm, Washington palm, weeping banyan and avocado rank among the least. Native species also lost fewer branches than non-natives. When we walk a Bonita property, that research guides our advice: a well-pruned live oak is usually worth keeping, while a towering queen palm over the lanai is a candidate for replacement.

Flooded roots

Irma showed that flooding loosens trees as surely as wind does. Waterlogged sand holds roots poorly, and trees along the Imperial River and its side streets can tip when a strong gust follows days of rain. After a wet spell, look at the base of large trees. Cracked soil, a raised root plate on one side, or a lean that wasn't there last month are signs to call before the next storm.

Older owners and seasonal homes

Bonita Springs has 53,644 residents, 44.2% of them 65 or older, and an owner-occupied rate of 81.8%. Many are here part of the year. We schedule pruning for the months owners are in town if they want to watch, or while they're away if they would rather come back to a finished job. Either way, the written estimate is agreed before work starts.

Bonita Beach

Bonita Beach sits on Little Hickory Island, a barrier island between the Gulf and Estero Bay. Lee County's barrier-island vegetation page lists the Little Hickory Islands among the places where removing coconut palms and native trees requires a permit, though the beach is now within the City of Bonita Springs. Before any removal on the island, we check with the city about which rules apply. Salt spray, sandy fill and exposure to wind make beach-side trees work harder, so we lean toward light, regular trimming rather than heavy cuts.

Jobs we handle in Bonita

• Clearing storm-broken limbs and hangers from oaks
• Removing palms with dead buds left over from surge or disease
• Trimming coconut and royal palms near the beach
• Thinning dense canopies that catch wind
• Stump grinding after removals so you can replant with sturdier species

Bonita's history goes back to an Army Corps of Engineers survey camp on the Imperial River in the 1870s, which gave the settlement its first name, Survey. Citrus groves followed in the 1920s land boom. If you have an old citrus or mango in the yard from those days, we can tell you whether it is worth saving. Call (239) 236-3651 for a free estimate. Get a free estimate