TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Pines and hurricanes, they just don't mix. We witness every time we get a hurricane, the destruction when these trees crack in half. It was especially evident during Hurricane Michael, says Daniel Leonard with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
"There's a long thin trunk in between the roots in the ground and the crown, and that distance sort of acts like a fulcrum, a lever, heavy on the top" explains Leonard, "so any defect in the trunk, anything that goes on, high winds causes a lot of breakage and the trees can even lodge in the soil, so Pines are not a great choice close to the home."
And it's not just pines. Leonard says Water Oak and Pecan trees are also not wind resistant.
But if you're debating whether or not to get rid of the trees in your yard altogether, don't.
"Trees do a lot of things for us," expresses Leonard. "They enhance our property values, they help with heating and cooling costs, they are beautiful, they add architecture to our landscape with height, shape, form, color, just all kinds of beauty associated with trees, they help pollinators and wildlife, so they provide enormous services to the state of Florida."
Instead, he says, begin replanting your landscape with "hurricane proof", or wind-resistant trees, like live oaks and magnolias.
"They have an interesting defense mechanism in storms," says Leonard. "Early in the storm, they have a defense mechanism that allows them to shed their leaves, so the wind can blow through them and they don't get that umbrella affect like Chinese Elms, so you can thank evolution or whatever for that, but they've adapted, they've lived here a long time through storms, and they really are strong wooded trees."
Others he advises you to consider? Cypresses, crepe myrtles, American Holly, Red Maple and even small landscape trees like Dogwoods, Fringe Trees and Persimmons.
Leonard says if you're looking to redo your landscaping, you can first consult with someone from the many IFAS offices in North Florida, or your local plant nursery.
For more information, visit http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/
