01
Saint Petersburg
Native Trees for Saint Petersburg Yards
A site-first guide to matching canopy, roots, soil, sun and exposure in compact coastal-city lots.
Read the field guide →Florida field notes · trees · place
Native tree choices for real Florida yards
Practical, source-backed guides for choosing, planting and caring for native trees in Saint Petersburg, Tampa Bay and across Florida.
Explore the guides
Featured field guides
Four decisions that shape a tree’s future
Each guide turns public horticultural guidance into a clear field checklist. Use them together: understand the site, choose a mature size, account for exposure, then plant for establishment.
02
Right tree · right scale
Florida Native Trees for Small Yards and Utility Lines
How to work backward from mature size, clearance and root space before choosing a nursery tree.
Read the field guide →03
Tampa Bay exposure
Salt, Wind and Storm Exposure: Choosing Tampa Bay Trees
A resilience-minded checklist for exposed coastal and urban sites without making impossible storm-proof promises.
Read the field guide →04
Establishment
How to Plant a Florida Native Tree for Long-Term Establishment
A calm, repeatable planting sequence: root flare, wide hole, mulch, water and early structural care.
Read the field guide →The field-note method
Observe before planting
- Look up. Note wires, roof lines and the path of mature branches.
- Look down. Check drainage, compacted soil, irrigation and buried utilities.
- Look outward. Account for salt, wind, pavement, neighboring canopies and sun.
- Plan at maturity. Choose for adult height and spread, not nursery size.
About the notes
A public-interest guide project
Rashid Mehmood writes Florida Tree Notes, a source-backed field-notes project about choosing and caring for native trees in Florida. The guides point readers to UF/IFAS, Florida Native Plant Society and local-government resources for deeper research.