Mulberry tree services for the Phosphate Capital, just up SR-37
Mulberry calls itself the Official Phosphate Capital of the World, and the title is earned. Phosphate rock turned up in the Peace River in 1886, logging gave way to mining, and the steady industry led the town to incorporate in 1901. Even the name comes from local lore: a mulberry tree beside the railroad where trains let off passengers and dropped the mail became the settlement’s meeting place.
Today about 4,000 people live inside city limits, with many more in the surrounding countryside of southwest Polk County. Our shop is roughly 11 miles north in Lakeland, about a 16-minute drive, so Mulberry is a regular stop rather than a special trip. We take on single trees, overgrown fence lines, storm damage and stumps, and every estimate is free.
Mulberry by the numbers: local facts from your tree company
- Population: 3,952 at the 2020 Census; the Census Bureau estimated about 4,488 in 2024.
- Size: roughly 6.9 square miles in total area.
- Elevation: about 112 feet, noticeably lower than the lake country to the north.
- ZIP code: 33860.
- Crossroads: the city grew up where State Roads 37 and 60 meet.
Those numbers describe a compact town ringed by mines, rail lines and farmland. Lots inside the city are modest in size, while parcels just outside can run to several acres, so a single visit might mean one oak by the carport or a whole fence row of volunteer trees.
Tree trimming and removal near Mulberry: downtown streets and rural communities
Our Mulberry work spreads well past the city limits. Areas we cover include:
- Downtown along Church Avenue: older homes near City Hall and the depot, where big oaks share space with overhead service lines.
- Northeast Mulberry: the streets around Centennial Park and the Civic Center on NE 5th Street.
- The Kingsford area: homes around Kingsford Elementary, one of the three elementary schools serving local families along with Purcell and Sikes.
- Bradley Junction: an unincorporated phosphate settlement of 542 people (2020) where two CSX lines still cross, named for mining executive Peter B. Bradley.
- Nichols: a small unincorporated community with its own post office (ZIP 33863).
- Lakeland Highlands: the unincorporated suburbs between Mulberry and Lakeland.
Rural parcels out here often come with pasture edges, windbreak pines and scrub that has crept in for years, which is where stump grinding in Mulberry and brush clearing earn their keep.
How our Mulberry tree service crews use SR-37 and SR-60
SR-37 is the backbone of the trip. It starts as South Florida Avenue in Lakeland and becomes Church Avenue once it enters Mulberry, so a crew leaving our yard can be on your street in well under half an hour. SR-60 crosses town east to west, linking Mulberry with Bartow on one side and the Hillsborough County line on the other, which puts Bradley Junction and the western farm roads within easy reach. The Polk Parkway also serves the Mulberry area for jobs that start on the east side of Lakeland.
Active rail lines cross the area, so we plan crane and chipper routes around them and keep equipment off the shoulder of busy state roads whenever the driveway allows.
Phosphate Museum, Alafia River Reserve and landmarks for Mulberry tree care
- Mulberry Phosphate Museum: set in the town’s original railroad depot since 1986, with fossils from the Bone Valley collection once housed in Bradley and an 1880s-era phosphate locomotive added in 2013.
- Mulberry Cultural Center: the community gathering space that opened in fall 2015.
- Centennial Park: 901 NE 5th Street, beside the Civic Center and library, with a playground, covered picnic tables and a fishing creek.
- Alafia River Reserve: 334 acres of protected wetlands on Indian Oak Drive, managed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, with trails and picnic areas.
- Mosaic New Wales: a large fertilizer plant on County Road 640 West that has operated since 1975.
Mulberry arborist notes: trees on mined and reclaimed ground
Mulberry sits inside the Bone Valley, the central Florida phosphate district of roughly 1.3 million acres centered in Polk County. After mining, clay is pumped into large clay settling areas while sand goes back to reclaim the pits, so soil can change from sugar sand to dense, wet clay within one neighborhood. That matters for trees. Roots in heavy, water-holding clay tend to stay shallow, and shallow roots let saturated oaks and pines tip over in tropical winds. On soft reclaimed land, heavy equipment has fewer safe places to park, which can shape how a removal is rigged.
Yard trees around town are mostly oaks (both live and laurel), pines, cabbage palms and camphor; camphor is a Category I invasive for all of Florida according to the Florida Invasive Species Council, and many owners choose to remove it. Southern Polk County knows storms well: in 2004 the eyes of Charley, Frances and Jeanne all passed over the south end of the county on paths within about two miles of each other. Our emergency tree service for Mulberry runs 24/7 when the next one arrives.
Tree Cutting Mulberry Homeowners Should Clear With City Hall First
Permits: We could not confirm a stand-alone permit requirement for removing a tree from an existing Mulberry home lot; the city’s land development code addresses tree preservation mainly during development. Because local ordinances get revised, phone Mulberry City Hall at (863) 425-1125 before any removal — or let us check on your behalf. State law also helps: Section 163.045 of the Florida Statutes says a written risk finding from a landscape architect licensed by the state, or from an arborist holding ISA certification, frees single-family homeowners from local permits, fees and replanting for that tree.
Power lines: Electric service varies by address around Mulberry, so look at your bill and call that utility for any limb touching a wire before we start work nearby.
Curbside debris: City customers should cut branches under 4 feet and bundle them. Yard debris, bulk items and claw-truck pickups must be scheduled with city customer service (option 2) by the Thursday before the Monday collection. When our crew does the job, we haul the wood away unless you want to keep it.
Pricing Mulberry tree removal and stump grinding
Mulberry jobs fall into the same price bands we use everywhere in our area:
- Standard removals: $375 to $3,200, most mid-size yard trees $750 to $1,800
- Big oaks: $1,800–$3,500
- Stumps: $100 to $400 each
- Palms: trims from $75, removals from $200
- Storm and after-hours calls: $500–$5,000
On acreage, the big cost drivers are how many trees go at once, how far the debris travels to the truck and whether the ground is firm enough for machines. Several trees on one visit usually costs less per tree. Our guide to tree removal costs in Polk County explains each factor, and neighbors across the county line can see our Plant City page.
Every service from your Mulberry tree company
Mulberry Tree Removal
Mulberry removals often involve pines on soft reclaimed soil or decaying oaks beside older Church Avenue homes, so we plan the drop zone and equipment footing first. Tree removal in Mulberry →
Mulberry Oak Tree Removal
For Mulberry oaks too big or too close to the house to fell whole, our crew takes them down in sections and hauls the wood out. Oak tree removal in Mulberry →
Mulberry Palm Tree Service
Sabal palms around Mulberry and Bradley Junction get cleaned of dead fronds and boots, or removed entirely if they are leaning or rotting. Palm tree service in Mulberry →
Mulberry Emergency Tree Service
When a storm drops a pine across a Mulberry driveway or roof, our 24/7 line puts a Lakeland crew about 11 miles away on the road. Emergency tree service in Mulberry →
Mulberry Tree Trimming
Pruning in Mulberry focuses on lifting limbs off roofs and fences and thinning dense camphor and oak crowns before summer storms. Tree trimming in Mulberry →
Mulberry Stump Grinding
Rural lots near Mulberry tend to collect old stumps from past clearing, and we grind them out so mowing and new planting are possible again. Stump grinding in Mulberry →
Free Mulberry tree quotes
Most Mulberry homeowners get a written estimate within 24 hours. No pressure, no hidden fees, no surprise charges after the chainsaw starts.
Get a Free Mulberry Tree Quote →Mulberry tree removal & tree service FAQs
We could not verify a residential removal permit, but it is still smart to ask the City of Mulberry at (863) 425-1125. Our team can check for you, and our permit guide covers the state law that applies.
Call city customer service at (863) 425-1125, option 2, by Thursday for the following Monday. Cut branches shorter than 4 feet and bundle them.
Yes — we evaluate Mulberry trees on site, including pines and oaks growing on reclaimed phosphate ground, and explain whether trimming or removal is the better call. Our crew is not marketed as ISA certified, so if you need a certified arborist’s signed report, tell us and we will explain how that works.
Reclaimed mine soils and clay settling areas can hold water and keep roots shallow, so saturated trees lose anchorage in high winds. Thinning and hurricane pruning reduce the risk.
Both. We cover the unincorporated communities around Mulberry, including Bradley Junction, Nichols and the Kingsford area.
About 11 miles, or roughly 16 minutes, straight down SR-37 from Lakeland.
Camphor is a Category I invasive in Florida and birds spread its seeds widely, so many owners remove it, especially when it crowds a roof or a fence. We quote removal and stump grinding together.
Most stumps run $100 to $400 depending on diameter and root spread, and grinding several on one visit lowers the per-stump cost.
It depends on lean, root damage and decay. Our list of signs a tree is dying is a good first check before you call.