Residential | FPL | Recommended Trees – North Central Florida
Residential

Recommended Trees – North Central Florida

Large trees need their space so that they do not interfere with power lines | Your safety is important | More information

The following trees would be suitable for planting adjacent to overhead power lines in North/Central Florida:

Needle Palm (Rhapidophylium nystrix)

Growth Rate: Moderate
Maturity Height x Spread: 8’ x 8’
Foliage: Evergreen
Small, native palm. Shade tolerant, but does best in hot, sunny locations. Very cold tolerant. Short trunk contains spines.

Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)

Growth Rate: Slow
Maturity Height x Spread: 15-20’ x 10-15’
Foliage: Deciduous
Spring flowers before leafing out. Known as old man’s beard. Cold hardy.

Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)

Growth Rate: Slow
Maturity Height x Spread: 15-20’ x 15-20’
Foliage: Evergreen
Excellent understory tree with spreading growth habit. Used for screening; attracts wildlife. Cold hardy.

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indicia)

Growth Rate: Rapid
Maturity Height x Spread: 10-30’ x 15-25’
Foliage: Deciduous
Flowers in many colors; blooms from late spring to fall. Cold hardy.

Japanese Privet (Ligustrum japonicum)

Growth Rate: Moderate
Maturity Height x Spread: 12-20’ x 15-25’
Foliage: Evergreen
Dense-canopied, with multiple trunks. Excellent specimen tree. Cold hardy.

Large trees need their space so that they do not interfere with power lines

Here’s a list of some canopy trees often seen in North/Central Florida. These large, canopy trees need their space. If you plant a canopy tree on your property please follow these guidelines:

Common Name

Height x Spread

Setback from Power Line

Tree Shape

Bald Cypress

60-80' x 25-30'

30'

Upright & narrow

Chinese Elm

40-50' x 35-50'

30'

Spreading canopy

Live Oak

60-80' x 60-120'

30'

Spreading canopy

Shumard Oak

60-80' x 40-50'

30'

Spreading canopy

Slash Pine

35-50' x 30-40'

30'

Upright & slightly spreading

Southern Magnolia

60-80' x 30-40'

30'

Upright & spreading

Southern Redcedar

30-40' x 20-30'

30'

Upright & spreading

Sweetbay Magnolia

40-50' x 15-25'

30'

Upright & narrow

Sweetgum

60-75' x 40-50'

30'

Upright & slightly spreading

Sycamore

75-90' x 60-70'

30'

Upright & spreading

Winged Elm

45-70' x 30-40'

30'

Upright & spreading

American Holly

35-50' x 15-25'

30'

Upright & slightly spreading

Pecan

70-100' x 50-60'

30'

Spreading canopy

Red Maple

60-70' x 40-40'

30'

Upright & spreading

Note: These setback guidelines may not be suitable around transmission equipment

Your safety is important

You should not attempt to trim any vegetation growing near or on any overhead power lines. Only specially-trained line clearing professionals should work around power lines.

For more information about working with qualified tree professionals, visit Tree Trimming Crews.

More information

To view a list of trees for the South Florida area, see Recommended Trees – South Florida.

For more information and additional recommended trees, request the “Right Tree, Right Place” brochure by calling the number located at the bottom of your monthly statement.

See the USDA Hardiness Zones Map for more information about vegetation in the state of Florida.

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