18 of the Best Wind-Resistant Trees 

The best wind-resistant trees include sand live oak, southern magnolia, bald cypress, sabal palm, and American holly. Planting the right species can help your yard stand up to hurricanes and severe windstorms.

Below, you’ll find 18 trees with care profiles, what makes a tree wind-resistant, and how to plant and maintain trees for storms. We also cover trees to avoid, how wind zones work, and answers to common questions.

Planning a storm-ready landscape takes time. While you research trees, Lawn Love’s local pros can handle weeding and garden upkeep with our gardening services.

18 best wind-resistant trees

Sand live oak, live oak, southern magnolia, American holly, flowering dogwood, and crape myrtle withstand wind best, earning top wind-resistance ratings from the University of Florida (UF). The table below compares all 18 at a glance, and each profile covers zones, size, and care.

UF ratings cover mainly Southern species, so trees like Norway spruce and Douglas fir are included for their sturdy form and common windbreak use in colder regions.

Tree	Hardiness zones	Foliage
American beech	3-9	Deciduous
American holly	5-9	Evergreen
American persimmon	4-9	Deciduous
Bald cypress	4-10	Deciduous
Basswood	3-8	Deciduous
Canary Island date palm	9-11	Evergreen
Chinese juniper	4-9	Evergreen
Crape myrtle	7-10	Deciduous
Dawn redwood	4-8	Deciduous
Douglas fir	4-6	Evergreen
Eastern red cedar	2-9	Evergreen
Flowering dogwood	5-9	Deciduous
‘Green Giant’ arborvitae	5-8	Evergreen
Norway spruce	3-7	Evergreen
Olive tree	8-10	Evergreen
Sabal palm	8-11	Evergreen
Sand live oak	7-10	Evergreen
Southern magnolia	6-10	Evergreen

American beech (Fagus grandifolia)

The American beech is a hardwood tree with sturdy wood that helps it stand up to severe storm winds. These trees are known for their attractive smooth-textured bark and large, spreading crowns.

They produce small, yellowish-green flowers and large quantities of beech nuts, which you may have to clean up from your yard if local wildlife doesn’t get to them first.

• Hardiness zones: 3-9

• Mature size: 50-80 feet tall and 40-80 feet wide

• Foliage: Deciduous

• Bloom time: March-May

• Sunlight needs: Full sun or partial shade

• Soil preferences: Moist sandy, silty, clay, or loam soils

• Water needs: Sensitive to drought and may need watering during dry spells

• Potential hazards: Poisonous fruit can cause upset stomach if eaten

American holly (Ilex opaca)

American holly grows in a pyramidal shape. It has shiny, dark green leaves that are spiky around the edges. When its bright red berries are present, it somewhat resembles mistletoe. Before the berries show up, the tree produces solitary or clustered flowers in yellow, green, or white.

• Hardiness zones: 5-9

• Mature size: 40-60 feet tall and 10-20 feet wide

• Foliage: Evergreen

• Bloom time: April-June

• Sunlight needs: Full sun, partial shade, or full shade

• Soil preferences: Tolerates well-draining sandy, loam, or rocky soils

• Water needs: Sensitive to drought and may need watering during dry spells

• Potential hazards: Poisonous fruit can cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea if eaten

American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)

American persimmon trees have many benefits besides being wind-resistant. They produce flowers with a lovely fragrance and sweet fruits you can eat raw or use to make syrup, jelly, ice cream, or pie.

They also offer a showy fall display with bright yellow, orange, or red leaves. The bark is another distinctive feature with its “alligator skin” pattern and rich gray color.

For your trees to produce fruit, you need both a male and female tree. You can tell them apart by the flowers. Male flowers are tubular and appear in clusters. Female flowers are solitary and bell-shaped.

• Hardiness zones: 4-9

• Mature size: 30-80 feet tall and 20-35 feet wide

• Foliage: Deciduous

• Bloom time: May-June

• Sunlight needs: Full sun or partial shade

• Soil preferences: Does best in moist soil but tolerates dry, nutrient-poor soils as well

• Water needs: Water once or twice a week for the best fruit yield

• Potential hazards: Persimmon seeds can be harmful to pets if eaten

Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum)

Bald cypress is a swamp tree, and it occurs naturally on wet sites. In the landscape, it has a pretty traditional trunk shape instead of the bulging roots you might see in the wild.

The branches grow in a sparse conical shape, with light green leaves that turn bright red or orange in fall for a showy display.

• Hardiness zones: 4-10

• Mature size: 50-70 feet tall and 20-30 feet wide, with a trunk up to 3-6 feet thick

• Foliage: Deciduous

• Bloom time: March-April

• Sunlight needs: Full sun or partial shade

• Soil preferences: Grows best in moist soils and even tolerates standing water but also tolerates somewhat dry soil

• Water needs: Somewhat drought-tolerant

• Potential hazards: No hazards

Basswood (Tilia americana)

Basswood is a durable hardwood tree with gray bark and heart-shaped leaves that grow densely. While this tree’s flowers aren’t particularly showy, they’re extremely fragrant and known for attracting lots of honeybees.

• Hardiness zones: 3-8

• Mature size: 60-80 feet tall and 30-60 feet wide

• Foliage: Deciduous

• Bloom time: June-July

• Sunlight needs: Full sun, partial shade, or full shade

• Soil preferences: Prefers moist, well-draining soil but adapts to most soil conditions

• Water needs: Somewhat drought-tolerant but may need watering during long dry periods

• Potential hazards: No hazards

Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis)

UF research rates the Canary Island date palm among the most wind-resistant palms, and palms often survive hurricanes because they grow from a single terminal bud. Unfortunately, this species isn’t very cold-hardy and is an option only in tropical and subtropical climates in the South.

• Hardiness zones: 9-11

• Mature size: 50-60 feet tall and 20-50 feet wide

• Foliage: Evergreen

• Bloom time: Spring

• Sunlight needs: Full sun

• Soil preferences: Well-draining sandy or loam soils

• Water needs: Drought-tolerant

• Potential hazards: No hazards

Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis)

Chinese junipers grow in a conical shape with dense foliage from the base to the crown. That foliage is in the form of dark green needles that don’t fall off in winter.

There are several varieties, some that grow as shrubs and some that tower up to 60 feet tall as trees. Because they don’t lose their foliage, Chinese junipers are often planted as year-round privacy hedges or windbreaks.

• Hardiness zones: 4-9

• Mature size: 50-60 feet tall and 10-20 feet wide

• Foliage: Evergreen

• Bloom time: None

• Sunlight needs: Full sun

• Soil preferences: Grows best in moist, well-drained soil, but can tolerate most soil conditions

• Water needs: Drought-tolerant

• Potential hazards: Needles and berries are mildly toxic if eaten

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

There are many different varieties of crape myrtles that come in a range of sizes, with flowers of pink, red, white, or lavender. The flowers bloom in early summer with big, showy clusters that can last into fall.

Well-sited, well-trained crape myrtles need little pruning. For wind resistance in any tree, Tom Smiley, senior arboriculture researcher at Bartlett Tree Experts, recommends shortening upper and outer branches and avoiding topping.

That’s key for crape myrtles, which are often topped, leaving top-heavy shoots that break off in strong winds.

• Hardiness zones: 7-10 (some varieties can survive in zone 6 but will die back to the root in winter)

• Mature size: Different varieties can be anywhere from 2-30 feet tall and 2-15 feet wide

• Foliage: Deciduous

• Bloom time: Early summer to fall

• Sunlight needs: Full sun

• Soil preferences: Tolerates diverse soil conditions but needs good drainage

• Water needs: Needs watering once per week, maybe twice per week in summer if the soil dries out quickly

• Potential hazards: No hazards

Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

Dawn redwoods have been around basically since the dawn of time. They’re tough, adaptable trees. They have a pyramidal shape, and they grow quickly to towering heights. Plant one only where there’s plenty of room for it to grow.

• Hardiness zones: 4-8

• Mature size: 70-100 feet tall and up to 25 feet wide

• Foliage: Deciduous

• Bloom time: Inconspicuous flowers

• Sunlight needs: Full sun

• Soil preferences: Tolerates diverse soil types

• Water needs: Mildly drought-tolerant

• Potential hazards: No hazards

Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Douglas firs are a familiar sight as popular Christmas trees, with branches that grow in a cone shape and needles that stay green year-round.

Live Douglas firs can grow much taller than your typical Christmas tree, and their narrow, conical shape makes them a common windbreak conifer.

• Hardiness zones: 4-6

• Mature size: 40-80 feet tall and 12-20 feet wide

• Foliage: Evergreen

• Bloom time: Inconspicuous flowers

• Sunlight needs: Full sun or partial shade

• Soil preferences: Slightly acidic, moist, and well-drained sandy, loam, or limestone-based soils

• Water needs: Needs moist soil, so you would have to water a few times per month in drought

• Potential hazards: May cause oral irritation if eaten by a pet

Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Don’t let the name “eastern red cedar” fool you. This is not a cedar tree but a juniper that usually grows in a narrow, cone shape but can have other, irregular shapes when tall.

The leaves are scaly and look like needles, and they typically turn from green to bronze or brown in winter (although they don’t drop in fall).

• Hardiness zones: 2-9

• Mature size: 30-40 feet tall and 10-30 feet wide

• Foliage: Evergreen

• Bloom time: Inconspicuous flowers

• Sunlight needs: Full sun or partial shade

• Soil preferences: Tolerates dry or moist sandy, loam, clay, silt, rocky, or limestone-based soils

• Water needs: Drought-tolerant

• Potential hazards: Mildly toxic if eaten; highly flammable

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)

Flowering dogwoods add visual interest to the landscape year-round. They blossom with white, pink, or red flowers in early spring before the leaves appear, so the trees are all flowers.

Then, as the weather warms up, the tree develops dark green foliage that changes to vibrant oranges and reds in fall. The bright red berries it produces in fall and winter are great for attracting songbirds.

• Hardiness zones: 5-9

• Mature size: 20-40 feet tall and up to 20 feet wide

• Foliage: Deciduous

• Bloom time: March-June

• Sunlight needs: Prefers partial shade but also grows in full sun

• Soil preferences: Moist, acidic sandy or loam soils

• Water needs: May need to water once per week when there’s no rain

• Potential hazards: Berries potentially poisonous to humans and pets; contact with tree may cause skin irritation

‘Green Giant’ arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata ‘Green Giant’)

The “Green Giant” is a low-maintenance tree with high rewards. It grows rapidly up to 60 feet tall in a pyramid shape, with a wide base and a narrow crown.

It can thrive in a wide range of soil types and doesn’t require regular pruning. One of its best features is that it rarely has problems with pests or tree diseases.

• Hardiness zones: 5-8

• Mature size: 30-60 feet tall and 12-20 feet wide

• Foliage: Evergreen

• Bloom time: None

• Sunlight needs: Full sun or partial shade

• Soil preferences: Adapts to most soil types

• Water needs: Likes soil to stay moist but not soggy; does best with about 1 inch of water per week

• Potential hazards: Can upset digestive system if eaten by cats and dogs; highly toxic for horses

Norway spruce (Picea abies)

Norway spruces are commonly used in windbreaks.

They have the same pyramid shape and needle-like foliage as many other conifers, but their spread around the base tends to be wider than others, and their branches droop downward. Norway spruce is also a relatively fast grower with long, showy cones.

• Hardiness zones: 3-7

• Mature size: 40-60 feet tall and 25-30 feet wide

• Foliage: Evergreen

• Bloom time: Inconspicuous flowers, but showy pinkish-purple cones appear in May-June

• Sunlight needs: Full sun

• Soil preferences: Acidic, moist, and well-drained loam, sand, or clay soils

• Water needs: Mildly drought-tolerant

• Potential hazards: No hazards

Olive tree (Olea europaea)

If you live in the warmest regions of the South (such as Florida, Southern California, or South Texas), you can plant olive trees as a treat for the eyes and the belly.

They have interesting gray bark on thick, gnarled trunks, and they produce tiny white blooms in summer. After the flowers come the fruits, olives that you can harvest and cure.

• Hardiness zones: 8-10

• Mature size: 20-30 feet tall and 15-25 feet wide

• Foliage: Evergreen

• Bloom time: April-July (depending on climate)

• Sunlight needs: Full sun

• Soil preferences: Well-draining sandy, clay, or loam soils that don’t become water-logged; tolerates both slightly acidic and slightly alkaline soils

• Water needs: Drought-tolerant

• Potential hazards: Non-toxic, but olive pits can be a choking hazard for small children and pets

Sabal palm (Sabal palmetto)

Sabal palm trees can grow quite tall, with a round puffball canopy that can stretch out up to 15 feet wide. These trees are native to the Southeast, where UF research rates them among the most wind-resistant palms.

Sabal palms are a little less sensitive to cold than the Canary Island date palm, but they still aren’t an option in places with severe winters.

• Hardiness zones: 8-11

• Mature size: 40-50 feet tall and 10-15 feet wide

• Foliage: Evergreen

• Bloom time: April-June

• Sunlight needs: Full sun

• Soil preferences: Moist and well-draining sandy or loam soils

• Water needs: Drought-tolerant

• Potential hazards: Contact with tree may irritate skin

Sand live oak (Quercus geminata)

Live oaks are known for strong wood, and the sand live oak earns one of the highest wind-resistance ratings from UF. It’s a natural fit for hurricane-prone areas of the Southeast.

Its shape helps, too. Smiley says the most wind-resistant trees are typically short and wide-spread, so they catch less wind and have a shorter ‘lever arm’ for the wind to push against.

• Hardiness zones: 7-10

• Mature size: 20-50 feet tall and 20-50 feet wide

• Foliage: Evergreen

• Bloom time: Inconspicuous flowers

• Sunlight needs: Full sun or partial shade

• Soil preferences: Moist, well-draining, and acidic sandy or loam soils

• Water needs: Drought-tolerant

• Potential hazards: Fruits and leaves are mildly toxic if eaten

Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)

Southern magnolias are famous for their 6-inch creamy white blossoms, which are as fragrant as they are showy. To complement the blooms, there are glossy, rich green leaves all over the tree.

Magnolia trees sometimes grow in a loose cone shape and sometimes spread out wider, depending on the cultivar and how you prune it.

• Hardiness zones: 6-10

• Mature size: Different cultivars have different sizes, up to 90 feet tall and 40 feet wide

• Foliage: Evergreen

• Bloom time: April-June

• Sunlight needs: Full sun or partial shade

• Soil preferences: Moist, well-draining, and acidic sandy, loam, or clay soils

• Water needs: Needs watering once per week for the first two years after planting, then every other week once established

• Potential hazards: No hazards

Read more:

• How the Hardiness Zone Helps With Your Yard

What makes trees wind-resistant?

“Wind-resistant” trees are those that are least likely to fall down or lose branches in the event of severe winds. Of course, there’s no magical tree that guarantees zero damage, but wind-resistant options have a somewhat lower chance of wrecking your home or landscape during a storm.

Characteristics of wind-resistant trees

A tree’s wind resistance depends on its species, site conditions, and care. UF hurricane research points to these traits that make some species more wind-resistant than others:

• Strong roots: A deep, extensive root system anchors a tree into the ground and keeps it from being easily uprooted.

• Single central trunk: Codominant stems form weak unions that break easily, so a tree with one main trunk holds up better.

• Short, spreading form: Short, wide-spreading trees catch less wind and are less likely to be pushed over.

• Overall health: Healthy trees, meaning those that are pruned regularly and free of pests and diseases, are more likely to survive severe wind. Pests, diseases, and neglect lead to weak wood that breaks more easily.

• Right tree for the right site: Smiley says he knows “of no correlation between nativeness and trunk or root failures.” What matters, he explains, is “the site and a species’ adaptability to that site as well as the genetic makeup of the species.”

Read more:

• Common Pests That Damage Trees

How to help trees withstand strong winds

How you plant and care for a tree matters as much as the species. UF hurricane guidance shows that grouping trees, giving roots room, and preventative pruning improve a tree’s odds in storms.

Planting advice:

• Plant in groups wherever possible. UF research found that groups of five or more trees, each within 10 feet of another, survived hurricane winds better than single trees.

  Nearby trees block some of the wind’s force, especially in forests, where many trees share the load, Smiley says. In a single row, a tree is protected only when the wind blows along the row. When the wind hits the row head-on, the other trees offer no protection.

• Vary the types of trees in each group rather than planting several of the same species close together. If all the trees in a group are the same species and one of them suffers from a pest or disease, the pest or disease will spread rapidly.

• Give each tree plenty of room for its roots to spread out deep and wide. Small trees need at least 10 by 10 feet of rooting space, medium trees 20 by 20 feet, and large trees 30 by 30 feet. Planting sites also need about 3 feet of soil depth.

Maintenance advice:

• Prune young and mature trees regularly to build strong structure and remove weak, dead, or damaged branches.

• Prune trees properly. Avoid removing many interior and lower branches, a practice called lion’s tailing. Smiley says it’s counterproductive and may increase branch failure rates.

• Look out for decay and other tree diseases. Cracks, raised roots, fungus, and dead branches can all signal weakness. If you see such signs, Smiley recommends calling a certified arborist who holds the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ).

  Often, the risk can be reduced by pruning or by installing a tree support system. He says removal should always be the last resort.

Read more:

• Must-Have Pruning Tools for Trimming Bushes, Trees, and Plants

• 12 Signs You May Need to Remove a Tree

• 5 Reasons to Hire a Certified Arborist

Trees to avoid in wind-prone areas

If you live in a place where hurricanes, tornadoes, or other severe storms are inevitable, beware of planting trees with brittle wood, shallow roots, or multiple trunks. These factors increase the risk of a tree causing damage in strong winds.

Even a sturdy species can fail in the wrong conditions. Smiley says trees often fail at the trunk or roots because of serious decay, damage from construction or other human activity, saturated soils, or very limited rooting space.

Before planting, make sure your site gives the tree room to grow, and protect its roots from digging and heavy equipment.

Here are some examples of trees rated low for wind resistance in UF hurricane research, which focused on Florida and Gulf Coast species:

• African tulip tree

• Australian pine

• Avocado trees

• Bradford pear

• Carolina laurelcherry

• Chinese elm

• Chinese tallow

• Floss-silk tree

• Golden shower

• Jacaranda

• Laurel oak

• Leyland cypress

• Melaleuca

• Norfolk Island pine

• Pecan tree

• Queen palm

• Sand pine

• Silk oak

• Silver trumpet tree

• Southern red cedar

• Southern red oak

• Spruce pine

• Tulip tree

• Washington fan palm

• Water oak

• Weeping banyan

• Yellow poinciana

Of course, this list doesn’t include every type of tree you have to watch out for. Always do your research before planting a tree in your yard to find out if it’s prone to breakage.

Read more:

• 8 Hurricane-Resistant Landscaping Ideas

What are wind zones?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) groups areas of the U.S. into wind zones by risk of extreme winds. The FEMA wind zone map for safe rooms divides the country into Zones I through IV, using 40 years of tornado history and over 100 years of hurricane history.

Zone IV has seen the most and strongest tornadoes. Zone III includes coastal areas susceptible to hurricanes. Homeowners in Zones III and IV or on hurricane-prone coasts should prioritize wind-resistant trees.

FAQs

Why consider wind-resistant trees for your landscape?

Replacing fragile trees with wind-resistant species can help reduce roof, window, and power-line damage when severe winds are common where you live. No tree is storm-proof, but the right species give your landscape a better chance.

Storm prep adds plenty to your to-do list. Let Lawn Love’s local lawn care pros handle yard chores like lawn mowing, weed control, and cleanup while you focus on wind-proofing your landscape.

Read more:

• Hurricane Yard Prep Checklist: What to Do Before the Storm

• 6 Wind-Resistant Plants That Look Great in Your Landscape

Main Photo Credit: normanack | Flickr | CC BY 2.0