Ficus grows faster than any other common tree in Palm Beach County, and its roots cause more hardscape damage than everything else combined. Most Ficus calls we get are either runaway hedges or roots lifting a pool deck.
Tree Maid is a single-fleet team based in Lake Worth Beach (Greenacres), FL. The tree experts who assess your tree are the same crew who do the work — and because we trim, remove, grind and replant, we can tell you honestly which one you actually need.
Trimming: What Correct Work Looks Like
- Ficus hedges need scheduled work. Left alone for a season they go from hedge to tree, and reduction gets expensive.
- Reduction cuts, not shearing, on specimen Ficus so the canopy stays dense rather than hollow.
- Watch the weight. Ficus wood is brittle for its size; heavy lateral limbs over a roof are a genuine storm risk.
- Never prune hard into old wood without a plan — Ficus responds with dense, weakly attached regrowth.
Removal: When It Is the Right Call
- Removal is often the right answer when roots have reached a foundation, pool shell, septic line or driveway.
- Aggressive root systems mean grinding alone may not stop regrowth — we discuss root excavation where it matters.
- Suckering is common after removal; we tell you upfront what follow-up looks like.
Removal includes full cleanup and haul-away as standard. Stump grinding is quoted separately because it is a different machine and a different job.
Health and Risk Warning Signs
Ficus roots can travel further than the canopy is wide. If you have surface roots heading toward a pool cage footing or slab, get it assessed before the repair cost overtakes the removal cost. Book a tree health and risk assessment if you are unsure — it costs less than a removal and often avoids one.
Residential Properties
On residential lots the constraint is almost never the tree — it is what sits under it. Pool cages, screen enclosures, paver driveways and irrigation all change the method. We rig sections down rather than dropping them, mat the drop zone on irrigated turf, and leave the site chipped and blown down the same day. Where an HOA governs the property, we check the architectural rules before any cut.
Commercial, HOA and Property Management
For associations, commercial parks and property managers we issue named-insured certificates of insurance to your management company before mobilising, schedule outside peak amenity hours, and provide board-ready written scopes with photographs so approvals do not stall. Across a portfolio we hold consistent pruning specification and pricing, so the streetscape stays uniform building to building.
Replacement and Replanting
Because we are one fleet, we can remove and replant in the same visit — the right species for the spot, at a sensible distance from structures and hardscape. See tree installation and landscape design for how we choose replacements.
Where We Work
Fastest in Lake Worth Beach and Greenacres, often same or next day. We also cover West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Lantana, Riviera Beach, North Palm Beach and Boca Raton.
Talk to a tree expert. Call (561) 246-3326 or request a free on-site quote. If the tree is down or unsafe right now, use 24/7 emergency tree service.
Trimming and Removing Ficus (Ficus benjamina and microcarpa)
Aggressive Roots Near Structures
Ficus roots lift driveways, crack pool decks and invade sewer laterals and septic drainfields. When a ficus sits close to a slab or a pool cage, removal is often cheaper than years of repeated repair.
Hedges Need Frequency, Not Severity
A ficus hedge keeps a clean face with light, regular cuts. Letting it run and then cutting hard back into bare wood leaves brown holes that can take a full season to green up again.
Whitefly Is Still Active Here
Ficus whitefly causes sudden heavy leaf drop and bare branches across the Palm Beaches. Trimming alone will not stop it — infested clippings have to leave the property so the infestation does not simply reseed itself.