Tree service for Lake Wales — on the Ridge, where three hurricanes crossed in 2004
Lake Wales sits on the Lake Wales Ridge beneath Bok Tower, with a 30 percent canopy, a historic downtown under old oaks, and a city tree ordinance with real fines. We know the rules and the ground.
Lake Wales is the city on the Ridge — the Lake Wales Ridge, the ancient sand dune spine of the peninsula, 300 feet up, with Bok Tower (295 feet) and its gardens on the highest ground. About 16,000 people live here, an hour southeast of Lakeland on SR-60 and US-27, in a historic downtown and residential district of 1920s homes under big oaks, lakefront neighborhoods around Lake Wailes and Lake Wales, and newer subdivisions along US-27. The canopy is 30 percent. The ground is the Ridge's deep sand, and the native cover is the rare sand-pine scrub and longleaf pine that the Ridge is famous for, along with the live oaks and laurel oaks of the old streets.
Two things make Lake Wales different. First, the 2004 hurricane season: Charley, Frances and Jeanne put three eyes within about two miles of each other in southern Polk in six weeks, with gusts to 75 mph recorded at Lake Wales in Charley alone, and the old oaks of the historic district are still showing the damage twenty years on. Second, the city's tree ordinance: Lake Wales requires a permit for the removal of select trees — the big live oaks and other protected species — and the fines for removing one without it run $250 to $2,500 under Sec. 23-302.2. We check the species and the rules before we touch anything here. The work is historic-district oak preservation and assessment, Ridge sand-pine and longleaf work on the scrub lots, lakefront trees, the US-27 subdivisions' laurel oaks and palms, and hurricane prep for a city that knows exactly why it matters.
What we do in Lake Wales
Permit-aware removals
Select-tree species identified and the city's permit pulled when required — no $2,500 surprises.
Historic-district oaks
Preservation pruning on the live oaks; assessment of the 2004-damaged laurel oaks.
Ridge pines & scrub
Longleaf and sand pine on the deep-sand lots; dead and struck ones removed.
Lakefront trees
Lake Wailes and Lake Wales shoreline oaks pruned and rigged with the water in mind.
US-27 subdivisions
Laurel oak and lethal-bronzing palm removals in the newer neighborhoods.
Hurricane prep & cleanup
Spring walks, storm-prep pruning and post-storm cleanup on the Ridge.
Neighborhoods and areas we cover
- Downtown Lake Wales & the historic district
- Lake Wailes
- Lake Wales (the lake)
- Bok Tower Gardens area
- Mountain Lake
- US-27 corridor
- SR-60 corridor
- Hesperides
- Babson Park
- Highland Park (south)
- Lake Ashton
- Crooked Lake
Tree services available in Lake Wales
- Tree removal, 24/7 emergency service, crane removal
- Trimming & pruning, oak care, palm trimming
- Palm removal & lethal bronzing, dead pine removal, stump grinding
- Hurricane prep, storm cleanup, land clearing
Questions from Lake Wales homeowners
Which trees need a permit in Lake Wales?
The city's select-tree list — primarily large live oaks and other protected species above a size threshold. Removing one without a permit carries fines of $250 to $2,500 under Sec. 23-302.2. We identify the tree, check the list and pull the permit when it applies, before we cut.
Do the 2004 storms still matter?
For the old oaks, yes. A laurel oak that lost a limb to Charley has had twenty years of decay at the wound; a live oak that was racked by Jeanne may have a root plate that never reset. The assessment tells you which.
Are the Ridge's sand pines worth keeping?
The scrub and sand-pine habitat on the Ridge is rare and worth protecting where it's healthy. Sand pines are short-lived and shallow-rooted, though, and a dead one over the house comes down like any other.
How far is Lake Wales from Lakeland?
About an hour on SR-60 and US-27. We schedule Lake Wales estimates in blocks; emergencies get a crew the same day.
Nearby: Haines City & Davenport · Winter Haven · Bartow · Mulberry & Fort Meade · full service area