Florida residents have an exceptional variety of trees that will grow in the environment. Unfortunately, many people may view the blooms or fruit of a particular tree specimen and plant in their own landscape without fully understanding its habits.

Messy Florida trees are a common problem due to leaf drop and drippy sap, along with fruits that can fall causing injury to people, pets, and property. Planting evergreens won’t alleviate the problem. Conifers also shed their needles and produce pine cones that will need to be removed.


They produce an unbelievable amount of pollen that attracts insects. The fruits are tasty and attract wildlife, but are sticky when they fall to the ground and stain paint jobs and driveways.

Northern Catalpa

An interesting tree with heart-shaped flowers, they produce fluffy blooms and that fluff blows around easily in the wind. It sheds leaves and pieces of bark all year and the long seed pods require considerable time to rake. The tree is frequently infested with catalpa worms, though the caterpillars make good fish bait.


The trees produce a lot of litter ranging from leaf fall to sweet and succulent fruit that’s extremely sticky. Pawpaw blooms also have a disadvantage before they fall and make a mess on the ground. Many people have likened their smell to that of rotting flesh.


They provide a great supply of pecans for people and wildlife that’s encased in an inner and outer shell. They shed leaves that can clog drains, ooze sap, and shed twigs on a regular basis. A stiff wind can bring down large branches.

Southern Magnolia

Beautiful in bloom and fragrance, petals will carpet the ground when they fall. The tree also sheds leaves year-round. It produces hard fruit called cones that can be a dangerous projectile if hit with a mower.

Sweet Gum

They drop their leaves in the autumn, but the biggest disadvantage is seeds/fruits that are hard, round, spiky balls. They’re painful to people and pets if stepped on and the trees tend to ooze sap.


A stately oak is a beauty to behold – until it begins dropping leaves, branches and acorns. Some oak species are less likely to drop twigs and experience breaking branches. Acorn production provides food for wildlife, but they also turn into dangerous projectiles when caught by a mower.


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