UCF Urban Forestry

UCF Urban Forestry The UCF Urban Forestry Team manages one of the most incredible assets at the University of Central Florida: the tree canopy! John’s Water Management District.

We are currently comprised of seven, including three ISA certified arborists. The tree canopy at the University of Central Florida is an incredible asset, especially for a campus of its size and functionality. It serves many purposes, including student safety, aesthetics, sequestering of carbon, and the filtering of storm water. UCF is one of the largest universities in the nation, hosting a commu

nity population of over 66,000 as of 2016. The campus is 1,415 acres, 800 of which are considered “natural lands” which are maintained as natural Floridian ecosystems. Currently, there are 319 acres of natural lands protected under conservation easements with by the St. Since the campus is located within the St. Johns River watershed, and only 0.8 miles from the Econlockhatchee River Wilderness area, our land and water impacts directly influence the local conservation areas, state parks, and their rivers. Water conservation, pollution removal, canopy cover conservation, erosion control, and aesthetic appeal are the five ultimate goals driving our urban forestry program. Our landscaping and maintenance initiative, facilitated through the Landscape and Natural Resources Department, is committed to creating green spaces that provide utility for our natural environment, create outdoor comfort for our students, support sustainability initiatives, and promote a sense of place on campus.

Yeah
02/04/2023

Yeah

05/06/2022
Laurel oaks are dangerous when they age. Especially if they are not pruned properly and produce large lateral limbs that...
05/31/2019

Laurel oaks are dangerous when they age. Especially if they are not pruned properly and produce large lateral limbs that can fail without warning. Laurel oaks live to 50-70 years ..... short lived compared to live oaks that can live for hundreds of years.

Pruning your palms? Why? Palms don’t want to be pruned or ‘Hurricane Cut’!!!! Repeated harsh pruning is a slow death sen...
02/13/2019

Pruning your palms? Why? Palms don’t want to be pruned or ‘Hurricane Cut’!!!!

Repeated harsh pruning is a slow death sentence. This practice makes them susceptible to palm weevils, disease and causes them to grow with a tapered trunks and bottle necks. This photo is an example of poor palm tree maintenance. These palms now have weak trunks and can fail at those points during tropical storm events.

The second photo is a naturally grown sabal that has never been pruned. It is a pillar of concrete with a thick trunk and can easily handle a Cat IV HC.

Sabal palms are also the state tree and can live to be 200 Years old! Don’t you want one?

Contact an ISA Certified Arborist for proper tree care.

12/03/2018
Death by palm Weevil.We lost two premium palms on campus this year due to the Palmetto Weevil. This critter is North Ame...
12/03/2018

Death by palm Weevil.

We lost two premium palms on campus this year due to the Palmetto Weevil. This critter is North Americas's largest weevil and is known to attack 'stressed' palms and healthy Canary Island Date Palms. The larvae are about the size of a man's thumb and they completely eat the terminal bud until it collapses. Photos show a Bismarkia palm 2 weeks ago, last week and today.

I

Sabal palm colonnades on campus by Engineering that are not pruned and make an awesome shaded walkway. No need to prune ...
11/14/2018

Sabal palm colonnades on campus by Engineering that are not pruned and make an awesome shaded walkway.

No need to prune this state tree! Pruning encourages diseases and tall, tapered growth form. Protect our state tree!

This morning
11/01/2018

This morning

Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) growing very well in our drainage canal at the UCF Arboretum. We planted t...
10/17/2018

Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) growing very well in our drainage canal at the UCF Arboretum. We planted two of these about 4 years ago and they are finally taking off. This tree looks very similar in appearance to Southern red cedar but, unlike red cedar, it likes 'wet feet'. This tree can naturally be found in the Florida panhandle and along some of the spring runs in the Ocala National Forest.

Another new palm species made it to the UCF campus today and they were installed in front of Health and Public Affairs. ...
07/20/2018

Another new palm species made it to the UCF campus today and they were installed in front of Health and Public Affairs. The Puerto Rican hat palm, Sabal causiarum, is native to PR, The Virgin Islands and Hispaniola. It is used in the islands to make hats, mats, baskets and thatch roofs. A very stately looking palm!

A new palm has arrived on campus and I mean 'new' as in newly discovered. High Plateau Coconut Palm (Beccariophoenix alf...
03/30/2018

A new palm has arrived on campus and I mean 'new' as in newly discovered. High Plateau Coconut Palm (Beccariophoenix alfredii) was discovered in Madagascar in 2004. It reportedly can take low temps into the mid 20's. Visit the UCF Arboretum to see!

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3528 Perseus Loop
Union Park, FL

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