Large-maturing trees which are allowed to develop a double or multiple trunk should not be planted. These are sturdy when they are young but could become increasingly hazardous as they grow larger. Except for small-maturing trees normally grown with multiple trunks, such as crape-myrtle, buttonwood, Japanese ligustrum and others, nursery trees should have one trunk up through the center to the top of the tree. Live oak and some other trees can grow with a modified dominant leader as shown in Fig. 1 (Florida Fancy).

Branch diameter should not be larger than 2/3 the diameter of the trunk measured directly above the branch. There should be no flush cuts anywhere on the tree and no open injuries on the trunk or major branches. The crown should be full of foliage and show little, if any, evidence of chlorosis, necrosis, disease or insect infestation. The root ball should be appropriately sized. Such a tree is given the top grade - Florida Fancy.

Trees graded Florida #1 may require some corrective pruning so they develop good trunk and branch structure. They may have minor trunk injuries or could have other defects. Defects can be corrected by pruning the tree once or twice within a year or two after planting.

Florida #2 is a lesser grade. These trees require major corrective pruning to form a structurally strong tree, or are badly misshapen. Great skill and effort (two or more prunings) are required to develop a structure in these trees which will promote longevity. Defects may take several years to correct.

The lowest grade is a Cull. Defects are not correctable. These trees lack vigor and/or have poor trunk and branch structure or circling roots. They have other problems such as open wounds, flush cuts or loose root ball which may prevent them from becoming established in the landscape. If they become established, long life is unlikely.

The better grades of trees will require less pruning after planting, and they will establish more quickly. These have been properly trained and pruned in the nursery to develop a structure which will be resistant to damage from winds and other outside forces. Most tree maintenance budgets have not been developed to allow for pruning a tree after planting, so it makes sense to start with a tree which is healthy and well formed. If there is a large tree- pruning allocation in the landscape maintenance budget, trees with the poorer grades may be trained into sturdy trees in the landscape by skilled arborists.

Special Note: There is a specialty market for trees trained into forms which are not typical of their normal growth habit. Examples include standards, braided stems, poodles, espalier, topiary and bonsai, to name a few.
When grading these trees, the height, spread and root-ball diameter-to-caliper relationships outlined in the matrices for these grades and standards do not apply. Therefore, when grading such trees, enter the grading process outlined here beginning at Step 6, skipping Steps 1 through 5. Large-maturing trees, such as oaks, are always graded beginning with Step 1 unless the planting specifications indicate that the trees will be maintained as topiaries or other small, clipped specimens throughout their lives in the landscape.
Grades established for trees (Florida Fancy, Florida #1, and Florida #2) do not apply to trees used in wetland mitigation. For trees used in wetland mitigation, refer to the wetland section of this manual.