South Lakeland and Lakeland Highlands sit on the southern side of the city, and for many addresses the first question is whether the property is in the city or in the county. We are an independent service. Describe the tree and we connect you with an independent local tree company serving South Lakeland and Lakeland Highlands. The company sets its own price and does the work.
Properties in South Lakeland and Lakeland Highlands may be inside Lakeland city limits or in unincorporated Polk County, and the tree rules differ. The City of Lakeland regulates tree removal under its Land Development Code section 4.5.10, as amended by Ordinance 24-037, and Polk County's land development rules apply outside the city. Check which one covers your address before you schedule work. Our Lakeland tree removal permit guide walks through both and cites the city's documents. On a single-family detached lot, Florida Statute 163.045 can also limit what a local government may require when an ISA-certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect has documented that a tree is an unacceptable risk.
Polk County's Lakeland Highlands Scrub Preserve, in the southern part of Lakeland, protects one of the few remaining undeveloped scrub habitats on the Lakeland Ridge, a sandy ridge similar to the Lake Wales Ridge. Polk Forever describes oak scrub there with dwarf live oaks, sand live oaks and Chapman oaks, plus saw palmetto. Sand live oak is also one of the top performers in University of Florida hurricane research, with about 98 percent survival in the Hurricane Ivan data, compared with about 81 percent for live oak and about 66 percent for laurel oak. Mature oaks in nearby yards raise the same question as anywhere else: condition. Look for hollow limbs, dead wood and lean.
Older laurel oaks are a frequent concern in Lakeland neighborhoods. See laurel oak warning signs before deciding whether a tree needs an inspection.
See Highland City and Mulberry, or browse all service areas.
Call (863) 267-9528 or use the contact page. We connect you with an independent local provider; the provider does the work and sets its price.
Tree Removal Lakeland is an independent service that connects callers with local tree care providers; we are not a tree contractor. Disclosure