One of the captivating features of Miami Lakes is its green canopies shading residents from the Florida sun. Unbeknownst to many, nearly all the original trees in Miami Lakes came from a single nursery.
During the planning stages of the community of Miami Lakes, a few years before any developments were made, a nursery was established and stocked with tens of thousands of trees and shrubs so while construction on the town moved forward there would be enough greenery to meet demand.
As the homes in Miami Lakes were built, the nursery stock grew and supplied nearly all the trees and shrubs planted around Miami Lakes, with the exception of the fully grown Sabal Palmetto trees.
The importance of the environment has long been a central value to the heart of Miami Lakes.
In one of the original columns of The Miami Laker sometime in 1973 it reads: “We’ve been conscious of our ecology long before the word came into popular usage. We have added, throughout the years, significantly to the biology, botany and topography of the land. What we have done in the field of arboriculture is the envy of all. These accomplishments are highly reassuring to every individual who is concerned about ecology and the environment - on the contrary, we have enriched and enhanced this environment with parks, lakes, greenways and thousands of fully-grown trees.”
Many types of trees were chosen to be planted in Miami Lakes, among them the Black Olive, Mahogany, Coconut Palm, Live Oak, Areca Palm, Seagrape, Bottlebrush, Florida Orchid Tree, Pongam, Tabebuia Pallida and the Sabal Palmetto, also known as the Cabbage Palmetto, the official state tree.
In 1974, at a time where the community had nearly 4,000 coconut palms, Miami Lakes began a drive against the “Lethal Yellowing” disease that attacks many species of palm trees. After nearly two years of work for treating and preventing the spread of the disease, most trees were saved and those lost were replaced with the disease-resistant Malayan Dwarf Coconut Palm.
Trees and the greenery of Miami Lakes continues to be an important facet of the community and all those in it.