Tree service for Pine Island and Matlacha — the island Ian hit first, and the strictest tree rules in Lee County
Bokeelia, Pineland, St. James City and Matlacha took Ian's eyewall before the mainland did. The Australian pines that lined the island roads are mostly gone; the mango groves, royal palms and mangroves that define the place need a tree company that knows which rules apply to which.
Pine Island is the biggest island on Florida's Gulf coast and the most rural corner of Lee County: Bokeelia at the north end with its mango and tropical-fruit groves, Pineland and its Calusa mounds, Pine Island Center, St. James City on the canals at the south end, and Matlacha, the old fishing village on the causeway from the Cape. Ian's eyewall crossed here on the way to Cayo Costa, the Matlacha bridge washed out, the surge went over the island's low spots, and Milton added an EF-1 tornado through Matlacha two years later. The island's Australian pines — the big windbreak rows along Stringfellow Road and the canals — went over by the hundred in Ian, and the slash pines on the island interior have been dying since.
The trees that matter here are different: mangoes, avocados and tropical fruit in the groves and yards (laurel wilt is killing the avocados), royal and coconut palms along the canals, slash pines on the interior, and mangroves on every shoreline. Mangroves are state-protected — trimming above ten feet needs a registered Professional Mangrove Trimmer and the fines are per tree — so we refer them and don't touch them. The county's rules are also tighter on the island than on the mainland: a single-family clearing permit kicks in at two acres on Pine Island instead of five, and every lot on the named barrier islands needs one. We check the parcel before we quote, and we bring the crane across the causeway when a St. James City canal lot needs it.
What we do in Pine Island & Matlacha
Australian pine cleanup & removal
The remaining windbreak rows along Stringfellow and the canals taken down in sections before the next storm.
Mango, avocado & fruit trees
Grove and yard fruit trees pruned for storms and harvest; laurel-wilt avocados removed and chipped.
Canal-lot palms
Royals and coconuts in St. James City and Matlacha cleaned every spring; crane access across the causeway.
Mangroves referred
Shoreline mangroves go to a Professional Mangrove Trimmer — we won't trim them and neither should anyone without the registration.
Island permit rules
Pine Island's two-acre clearing threshold and the barrier-island permit requirements handled.
Storm response
First landfall, last to get power; we come across the causeway the morning the bridge opens.
Neighborhoods and areas we cover
- Bokeelia
- Pineland
- Pine Island Center
- St. James City
- Matlacha
- Matlacha Isles
- Stringfellow Road corridor
- Flamingo Bay
- Pine Island Cove
- Bocilla Island
- Tropical Point
- Pine Island Road causeway
Tree services available in Pine Island & Matlacha
- Tree removal, 24/7 emergency service, crane removal
- Trimming & pruning, palm trimming, palm removal & diseases
- Dead pine removal, Australian pine & invasive removal, stump grinding
- Hurricane prep, storm cleanup, vacant lot clearing
Questions from Pine Island & Matlacha homeowners
Can you trim the mangroves on my canal?
No — and be careful who you let do it. Florida's Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act limits what an owner can trim without a permit to small fringes under ten feet, and anything taller needs a state-registered Professional Mangrove Trimmer. Fines run per tree plus restoration. We'll refer you to a registered trimmer.
Do I need a permit to clear a lot on Pine Island?
A single-family clearing permit applies at two acres on Pine Island (five on the mainland), and the named barrier islands need one for any lot. Exotic removal is permit-free in fee. We confirm the parcel's rules before quoting.
My avocado died in a few weeks. Was it the storm?
Probably laurel wilt — the redbay ambrosia beetle carries a fungus that kills avocados and redbays fast, and it's in every county. Remove, chip and tarp the chips; don't move the wood.
Can you get a crane to St. James City?
Yes. Mid-size cranes cross the causeway without trouble; the schedule is a morning job because of the drive and the afternoon storms.
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