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Still Standing
1 Nov, 2008 By: Janet Aird LivescapesTips to improve trees' chances of surviving storms.
When it comes to trees and storms, as in most of life, there are victims and there are survivors.
 Mary Duryea, professor and associate dean at the University of Florida/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation, and Ed Gilman, professor of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida, look over their booklet, which gives tips on how to prevent storm damage to urban trees. The booklet is free and available on the Internet or at any Florida county extension office. |
"No one can play God," says Bennett Joffrion Jr., county agent with Louisiana State University (LSU) in Houma, LA, but by choosing, planting and maintaining trees carefully, you can improve the chances that the ones in the landscapes you care for will survive.
Trees have a lot to contend with during storms. High winds snap them and break off branches. Rain loosens the soil, making it harder for the roots to hold them up. And the longer it takes for storms to move through an area, the more water accumulates in the soil and the more battering the trees take, says Mary Duryea, professor and associate dean at the University of Florida/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation.
"If a tree is blown for a longer amount of time, it might damage their internal structure, especially of weak-wooded trees," she says. The damage may not be visible for months, or up to a year. However, she adds, don't assume that a tree whose leaves have all been blown off is dead. They may come back again in the spring.
 Mary Duryea, professor and associate dean at the University of Florida/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation, measures the trunk of a tree broken during a hurricane. |
Choosing Survivors
You want trees to have a certain amount of wind resistance, Joffrion says, but not too much. It begins with good structure. They're usually compact, which gives them a low center of gravity, yet open enough for the wind to pass through. Survivor trees are usually slow-growing hardwoods with a well-balanced crown, well-tapered trunk and branches that are alternating, tightly attached, strong but flexible, with small deciduous leaves. They also have a deep taproot and well-developed secondary roots to anchor them to the ground.
"Live oaks are huge, massive trees that generally don't reach 50 ft.," he says. "They generally have good wind resistance, and they generally don't fall over."
According to the booklet, "Assessing Damage and Restoring Trees After a Hurricane," by Edward Gilman, Mary Duryea and others at the University of Florida, some of the most wind-resistant trees in the Southeast Coastal Plain are American hophornbeam, bald cypress, blue beech, Chickasaw plum, common persimmon, crape myrtle, dogwood and fringe tree.
Choose trees from tree lists in your area, Duryea says. The same trees may perform differently in different locations, because of different soil, climate or another local condition.
 Live oaks on urban street in St. Augustine, FL. Note that they are planted in enough soil space for the roots to grow. |
Healthy trees are more resistant to wind, disease and decay, and they recover better from damage. Natives are usually the best choice, because they're growing in their natural habitat, in soil that provides the nutrients they need. In coastal areas, trees should be salt-tolerant, so salt water doesn't damage their roots during floods. Another consideration is the lifespan of different trees, Duryea says. Some are mature at only 40 years old, and that's when they'll need to come out.
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