Wind-Resistant Shade Trees

When the heat and wind meet, they bring the hurricane The local people of South Florida know a lot about hurricanes and the trees to plant that can withstand an onslaught of intense heat and bad weather.

There two trees that will leave residents worry-free when the hurricane season will come. Both Exothea Paniculata (Inkwood) and Guercus Virginiana (Live Oak) provide shade from sun during the summer months, and help save the energy bills.

Inkwood is an excellent accent tree for commercial landscaping. It has dense foliage, and grows to 45 feet in South Florida.

The Live Oak is a large sprawling, picturesque tree that provides large areas of deep shade. Growing to 40 to 60 feet, with a 60 to 100 foot spread, sinuously curved trunks and branches, and a trunk that can grow to more than six feet in diameter, the Live Oak is an impressive sight for any large-scale landscape.

The Australian Pine and Laurel Oak are very beautiful, but not to be able to withstand hurricane-force winds.

Photo and text: Ida Tomshinsky