5 Champion Trees in Lee County, FL You Should See

Southwest Florida is known for its palms, mangroves, sprawling live oaks and tropical landscapes, but some of Lee County’s trees are remarkable enough to hold an official title: Champion Tree.

Lee County is home to an impressive collection of these extraordinary trees, including Florida Champions and even National Champions. Some represent the native forests that have grown in Southwest Florida for generations, while others are enormous tropical specimens that have become part of our local history.

Before we show you five worth seeing, here’s what being a Champion Tree actually means.

What Is a Champion Tree?

A Champion Tree isn’t chosen simply because it looks big.

The Florida Champion Tree Program, administered by the Florida Forest Service, recognizes some of the largest known individual trees of their species growing in Florida.

Trees are measured using three main factors:

* Trunk circumference

* Total tree height

* Average crown spread

Those measurements are combined into a point total, allowing trees of the same species to be compared.

A Florida Champion Tree represents one of the largest known examples of its species in the state. Certain qualifying native species can also receive recognition through the National Champion Tree Program, making them significant not only in Florida, but across the country.

Lee County is particularly interesting because our subtropical climate supports an incredible variety of trees—from native South Florida pines to enormous tropical figs and palms planted generations ago.

So where can you find some of these giants?

Here are five remarkable Champion Trees in Lee County, Florida, worth knowing about and seeing when public access allows.

1. Champion Mysore Fig — Bonita Springs

Location: Shangri-La Springs, Bonita Springs

Species: Mysore Fig

Designation: Florida Champion

One of Lee County’s most impressive trees can be found in the heart of historic Bonita Springs at Shangri-La Springs. The property’s massive Mysore fig measures approximately 85 feet tall with an incredible trunk circumference of 546 inches. When measured for Florida’s Champion Tree Program, it earned 656 points. Its enormous spreading canopy, twisting limbs and extensive root system make it the kind of tree that has to be seen in person to truly appreciate its scale.

Shangri-La Springs celebrates the tree as part of the property’s history, and visitors can look for the plaque identifying its Champion Tree status.

Because the Mysore fig is not native to the United States, it isn’t eligible for National Champion Tree status, but its size makes it an extraordinary Florida specimen.

Why see it: This may be one of the best places in Lee County to experience just how enormous a mature tropical fig can become.

2. Historic Mysore Fig — Estero

Location: Broadway Avenue area, Estero

Species: Mysore Fig

Champion Tree history

Bonita Springs isn’t the only community in Lee County with a remarkable Mysore fig. Estero has its own massive specimen along the Broadway Avenue area. With its sprawling branches, exposed roots and tremendous canopy, the tree has become a recognizable part of the area’s landscape and has a history connected with Florida’s Champion Tree program.

The tree is believed to date back to the late 1800s, giving it significance beyond its size. It provides a living connection to the early days of Estero, long before the community developed into what we know today. Seeing a tree of this scale surrounded by a modern Southwest Florida community is a reminder of just how much history can exist within a single tree.

Why see it: It combines impressive size, unusual structure and a fascinating connection to Estero’s Old Florida history.

3. Buddha Coconut — Fort Myers

Location: Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers

Species: Buddha Coconut (Pterygota alata)

Designation: Florida Champion

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates is famous for its botanical collection, but one of its most interesting trees is easy to overlook if you’re only looking for the property’s famous banyan.

The Buddha Coconut is an official Florida Champion Tree. Despite its common name, the Buddha Coconut isn’t actually a coconut palm. It is a large tropical tree native to Asia.

The Fort Myers specimen measures approximately 85 feet tall with a trunk circumference of 112 inches, earning 204 points in the Florida Champion Tree Program. It grows on the Edison & Ford property along McGregor Boulevard, where visitors can see an extraordinary collection of tropical and subtropical plants and trees. Thomas Edison’s interest in botany and experimental plants helped create the remarkable landscape that remains on the property today.

Why see it: You can see an official Florida Champion while exploring one of Fort Myers’ most historic attractions.

4. Alexandra Palm — Fort Myers

Location: Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers

Species: Alexandra Palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae)

Designation: Florida Champion

Another Florida Champion can be found among the historic botanical collection at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. The Alexandra Palm, also known as the King Palm or Northern Bangalow Palm, reaches approximately 66 feet tall with a trunk circumference of about 40 inches. The tree earned 109 points through the Florida Champion Tree Program.

Alexandra palms are native to Australia, but Southwest Florida’s warm subtropical climate provides conditions where they can thrive.

This specimen is a great example of just how impressive a mature palm can become after decades of healthy growth.

5.Champion Joewood — Sanibel Island

Location: Sanibel Island, Lee County

Species: Joewood (Jacquinia keyensis)

Sanibel Island is home to an impressive champion Joewood, a native evergreen tree found naturally in the coastal areas of South Florida. While Joewood is typically a relatively small tree, this standout specimen reaches approximately 18 feet tall and has five separate trunks, with the largest measuring about 11 inches in diameter.

Joewood is well adapted to the sandy, well-drained soils of Southwest Florida’s barrier islands and can also be found around Captiva and Cayo Costa. Its glossy green foliage, fragrant white flowers and yellow-orange fruit make it an important and beautiful part of Florida’s native coastal landscape.

What makes this champion especially interesting is that it proves a tree doesn’t have to tower overhead to be exceptional. Its unusual size and multi-trunk form have earned this Sanibel specimen recognition among Florida’s champion trees.

Why it’s worth seeing: It’s a great example of the unique native trees that thrive on Lee County’s barrier islands—and it gives you another reason to appreciate Sanibel beyond its famous beaches and wildlife.

What About North Fort Myers?

North Fort Myers is home to beautiful examples of the native trees and ecosystems that once covered much of Lee County, particularly in preserved natural areas. One of the best places to experience that landscape is Prairie Pines Preserve, where visitors can see pine flatwoods and other native Southwest Florida habitats.

While we aren’t including a North Fort Myers tree in this list without verified current Champion Tree status, the area is absolutely worth exploring for anyone interested in seeing mature native Florida trees in a more natural setting. And with Champion Tree records changing as new trees are nominated and measured, there may still be undiscovered champions growing throughout North Fort Myers and the rest of Lee County.

Don’t Forget Fort Myers’ Famous Banyan Tree

No list of extraordinary Lee County trees would feel complete without mentioning the enormous banyan tree at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. Although we’re not counting it among the five Champion Tree selections above, it is arguably one of the most recognizable trees in Southwest Florida.

The banyan was planted on Thomas Edison’s property nearly a century ago and has since expanded into an enormous network of branches, aerial roots and secondary trunks.

Unlike most trees, banyans send roots downward from their branches. When those roots reach the ground, they can develop into additional supporting trunks, allowing the canopy to continue spreading outward.

The result is a tree that can eventually resemble a small grove rather than a single tree.

If you’re visiting the Edison & Ford Winter Estates to see its Champion Trees, the banyan is definitely worth seeing while you’re there.

Could There Be More Champion Trees in Lee County?

Absolutely.

The Champion Tree Register represents trees that have actually been discovered, nominated and measured. That means an even larger specimen could be growing somewhere in Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs or another part of Lee County without anyone realizing it qualifies. Champion Trees can grow on public land, historic properties, preserves and private property.

That giant tree you’ve driven past for years could potentially be much more significant than it looks from the road.

Lee County’s Trees Are Part of Our History

From enormous tropical figs in Bonita Springs and Estero to native South Florida slash pines, Lee County’s remarkable trees tell very different stories. Some were intentionally planted generations ago. Others are survivors of the native forests that once dominated Southwest Florida.

What they all have in common is time.

Trees of this size don’t develop overnight.

Proper pruning, adequate growing space, healthy root systems and protection from unnecessary damage can make the difference between a tree that thrives for decades and one that develops structural problems or declines prematurely.

At Lee County Tree Service LLC, we work with trees throughout Fort Myers, North Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Estero, Bonita Springs and surrounding Lee County communities. From professional tree trimming and hazardous tree removal to storm cleanup and stump grinding, understanding the tree and its surroundings is an important part of responsible tree care.

The next time you’re driving through Lee County, take a closer look at some of the mature trees around you. You might be passing one of Florida’s future Champion Trees.

Feel free to call us or fill out an inquiry online if needing help with your own remarkable trees.

239.986.2408. www.leecountytree.com