Tree Service in Citra, FL

Tree Service in Citra deals with land that has carried trees for a long time. The community was founded in 1881 in a citrus-growing district, and the pineapple orange got its name here in 1883. The groves have mostly given way to pasture, woods and farms, but the land still has old oaks around homesteads, scattered citrus, pines on the sandier ground and hardwood stands along the low spots. Elite Tree Service Ocala handles removals, pruning, clearing and stump work for Citra homes and farms.

Why the groves faded

Citrus in north central Florida has always lived close to its cold limit. The Great Freeze of 1894 and 1895 ended Ocala's run as a citrus center, and later freezes pushed commercial groves farther south. In Citra today, you are more likely to see a few backyard citrus trees and old grove rows gone wild than working groves. If you have old citrus that has been frozen back and regrown from below the graft, it may be producing sour rootstock fruit rather than the original variety; those trees are often removed or replaced.

Old homesteads, big trees

Homes that date back several generations usually have very large live oaks and laurel oaks near the house, often planted by early owners for shade. Many of these trees have never been pruned. The work is usually a mix of deadwood removal, clearance from roofs and drives, and a careful look at the largest limbs for cracks or decay. Two of the community's buildings, the Citra Methodist Episcopal Church and the Armstrong House, are on the National Register of Historic Places, a reminder of how long people have been living and planting here.

Farm and acreage work

For larger parcels, typical jobs are: 1. Clearing fallen and leaning trees from fence lines and gates 2. Raising limbs over farm lanes so trucks, trailers and equipment can pass 3. Removing dead pines near barns, wells and homes 4. Pulling or grinding stumps from old grove rows to reclaim pasture 5. Opening up overgrown areas while keeping the best shade trees

Research next door

The University of Florida's IFAS runs a plant research facility in Citra. For homeowners, UF/IFAS Extension publications are a good free source on tree selection, planting and storm preparation, and we often point owners to them when they are choosing what to plant after a removal.

Pines on the sandier ground

Away from the old hammocks and grove sites, the higher, sandier land around Citra grows slash and longleaf pine. Pines rarely need pruning, but they are prone to lightning strikes, bark beetle attacks after drought, and slow decline after storms. UF/IFAS found that some pines that seemed fine after a hurricane died months later, so a pine that browned out a season after a storm is not unusual. Dead pines should come down before they get brittle, especially within reach of a house or barn.

Request an estimate

Call (352) 320-5752 or use the form. For farms, let us know about animals, gates and any areas we should stay out of. Get a free estimate