Miami Beach’s new math: two palms equal one shade tree

Written by Janetssy Lugo on January 9, 2025

Miami Beach’s picturesque palms are likely to continue their iconic presence in the city.

City commissioners voted tentatively in December to permit palm trees to count toward the minimum street tree requirements.

“This basically deals with … rights to put palm trees on right of ways, otherwise known as swales,” said Mayor Steven Meiner. “Right now, the city’s ordinance only allows for canopy [trees], not palms. The proposal at the Land Use and Sustainability committee … was to: if someone wants to not use canopy but replace it with a palm, they would have to put two palms for every canopy.”

If a second reading passes in February, the proposed amendment to the city code will permit palm trees to count as required street trees by planting two palms per required canopy tree.

On Feb. 1, 2023, says a commission memo, commissioners referred a proposal focused on the ratio of palms to canopy trees to the Land Use and Sustainability Committee and the Planning Board.

According to the proposed ordinance, well-maintained landscapes enhance property values and contribute to the attractiveness of neighborhoods and communities.

Additionally, the importance of palms in the city was highlighted in the legislation. Palms were described as “iconic and culturally significant” to the region, “contributing to its unique identity and aesthetic appeal.”

However, the commission memo noted the administration recommended commissioners not approve the ordinance at first reading.

Reasons the administration did not support the ordinance, the commission memo said, include that palm trees “offer less shade for pedestrians and less environmental benefits in comparison to canopy trees that are native and Florida friendly canopy trees.” The memo also said palms need more maintenance.

Additionally, “the standard recommendation for tree canopy coverage in cities is 30%,” says the memo. However, Miami Beach “was only at 17% with the last full inventory and the city’s goal is 22% canopy coverage by 2040 based on planting in 50% of available areas.”

In general, said Mayor Meiner, the city is adding many shade trees. “It’s great. Love it, but not at the expense – in my opinion – not at the expense of palm trees…. The carbon law takes away property rights of the owners, and not giving them the autonomy to build as they wish. So this is, I think, a good compromise: the two … palms per canopy.”