FEATURED FLORIDA FOLIAGE: Queen Palms, Is Your Tree Ready?

Queen palms are one of the most popular landscape trees in Southwest Florida, prized for their graceful appearance and tropical beauty. However, they are also one of the palm species most vulnerable to failure during hurricanes and tropical storms.

Unlike many native palms, queen palms have a shallower root system and are more susceptible to toppling when strong winds combine with saturated soil. They can also develop hidden issues such as trunk decay, nutrient deficiencies, or disease that weaken the tree over time. From the outside, a queen palm may appear healthy—until severe weather reveals otherwise.

As hurricane season becomes more active, now is the ideal time to have your queen palms evaluated. A professional inspection can identify signs of decline, structural weakness, dead or hazardous fronds, and other concerns before they become safety hazards.

Earthcare Landscape Services offers comprehensive palm evaluations, pruning, removals, and stump grinding to help keep your property safe and storm-ready. Addressing potential issues before a storm arrives can help reduce the risk of fallen trees, property damage, and costly emergency cleanup.

BOLO: Slugs & Snails🐌

Summer rain creates ideal conditions for snails and slugs across Southwest Florida. Warm temperatures, high humidity, and consistently damp landscape beds can lead to increased activity—especially in shaded areas, mulch, leaf litter, dense groundcover, and around low-growing plant material.

Two common pests homeowners may notice are the Florida leatherleaf slug and the Cuban brown snail. Both are most active in the evening, overnight, and after rainfall, often hiding during the day in cool, moist areas of the landscape.

The Florida leatherleaf slug is a shell-less, moisture-loving slug that may feed on tender new growth, seasonal annuals, and low-growing ornamental plants.

The Cuban brown snail is a nonnative snail with a brown, rounded shell that can also feed on a variety of landscape plants. Signs of activity may include irregular holes or ragged edges on leaves, damaged tender growth, and silvery trails left behind on foliage, hardscapes, or mulch.

While these pests are not typically a major threat to established turf, they can affect the appearance and health of seasonal color and ornamental plantings when populations become active. Keeping planting beds tidy, removing excess leaf litter, managing mulch appropriately, and reducing unnecessary moisture where possible can help limit the sheltered areas they prefer.

Happy Birthday to our wonderful Office Manager, Erika! 🎉 Thank you for all that you do to keep Earthcare running smoothly each day. We hope your day is filled with happiness, celebration, and all your favorite things!

Happy Birthday to our Irrigation Manager, Jose! 🎉 Thank you for the hard work, knowledge, and dedication you bring to Earthcare each day. We appreciate everything you do to help keep our properties looking their best. Wishing you a fantastic birthday and a wonderful year ahead!