Palm tree trimming in Stuart costs about $75–$175 per palm for sabals and queens and $150–$350 for tall royals and coconuts. We remove the brown fronds, seed stalks, fruit and loose boots and leave the green canopy alone, because over-trimming is what weakens a palm.
What comes off, and what stays
A palm feeds itself through its green fronds, and it pulls nutrients out of older fronds as they yellow. That's why the right trim is lighter than people expect.
- Off: fully brown and hanging fronds, seed and flower stalks, coconuts, dates and queen palm fruit clusters, and loose boots that come away by hand.
- Stays: every green frond at or above horizontal. On a healthy sabal that is most of the head.
The "hurricane cut", stripping a palm down to a few upright fronds, is still common around Stuart. It doesn't make the palm safer in a storm. The fronds you cut were flexing in the wind, and what grows back is thinner and weaker.
The palms in Martin County yards
Sabal palms, Florida's state tree, are the most common and the most forgiving. Queen palms grow fast, drop a lot and are prone to nutrient problems in our sandy soils. Royals along driveways get very tall and drop fronds heavy enough to dent a car. Coconut palms near the water in Jensen Beach and on Hutchinson Island need regular de-nutting before storm season, since a falling coconut can break a windshield or a skylight.
Palm removal
Palms that are dead, crowding a foundation or leaning out over the pool can be removed. Most are cut from the top down and the trunk felled or lowered. Pricing is on the tree removal page, and palm stumps can be ground out the same day.
Palm trimming prices
| Palm | Estimated price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Sabal, queen or foxtail palm, under about 25 ft | $75–$175 per palm | Number of dead fronds and seed stalks |
| Royal, tall coconut or Washingtonia | $150–$350 per palm | Height, and whether we need a lift |
| Coconut de-nutting | Included in the trim | We take green and brown nuts together |
| Several palms, one visit | Less per palm | Rows of palms along a drive or pool |
Per-palm figures are estimates. A yard with a dozen palms costs less per palm than a single royal, and the written price at the visit is the one that counts.
Prices for every other service are on the Stuart tree service price guide.
Palm questions
How many fronds should be left on a palm?
Leave every frond that is green and growing at or above horizontal. Picture a clock face: fronds between about 9 and 3 o'clock stay. Cutting into the green canopy, the so-called hurricane cut, starves the palm of nutrients and thins the trunk over time.
Do you use climbing spikes on palms?
No. Spikes punch holes in the trunk that never heal and can let disease in. We trim from a ladder, a pole saw or a lift.
How often do palms need trimming?
Most residential palms need it once or twice a year. Queens and coconuts drop fronds and fruit faster and often need two trims; sabals can usually go a year between visits.
My palm's new fronds are turning brown. Is it dying?
Possibly. A spear leaf that dies while the older fronds look fine can point to a serious problem such as lethal bronzing, which has killed sabal and other palms in parts of Florida, or a nutrient deficiency, both of which need different responses. Call and we'll take a look before anyone cuts anything.
Hardwoods in the same yard? We can do tree trimming on the same visit.
Last reviewed October 8, 2026.