Best Wind-Resistant Trees to Plant in Tampa Yards

Top Choices for Tampa Shade Trees

Live Oak

The classic Tampa tree, and the one UF/IFAS surveys keep putting at the top. Its low, spreading form and dense wood shrug off wind that snaps laurel oaks. Give it room: a mature live oak needs a planting area of roughly 30 by 30 feet and should sit well away from the house and the sewer line.

Southern Magnolia

Evergreen, native and highly wind-resistant. It does well in the sandy soils of Carrollwood and Northdale and stays narrower than a live oak, which suits mid-size lots.

Bald Cypress

Ranked highly in UF's coastal plain studies and comfortable in wet spots where other trees struggle. It is a good fit near retention ponds and low lawns that stay soggy after summer storms.

Smaller Trees and Palms

• Crape myrtle, a top-rated small tree that fits under most power lines
• Yaupon holly and American holly for screening along a fence
• Sabal palm, Florida's state tree, rated highest among palms
• Pindo palm and the date palms, which also rank in the highest palm group

Palms as a group come through hurricanes better than broadleaf trees because they can shed leaves without losing their single bud. UF counted 86 percent palm survival in Hurricane Jeanne against 76 percent for other trees. Keep them that way by skipping heavy pruning; our guide on when to trim palm trees explains why.

Trees to Think Twice About

The lowest-rated species in UF's studies include several that are common across Tampa: laurel oak, water oak, sand pine and pecan among the hardwoods and pines, and queen palm and Washingtonia among the palms. Many existing yards are full of them. If yours has a mature laurel oak, read about the warning signs to watch before deciding whether to keep it.

Pines can be deceptive after a storm. UF found that 48 percent of longleaf pines died within three months of a hurricane despite looking healthy right afterward, so do not count a pine as safe the day after.

Leaving a healthy laurel or water oak in place is fine for now. The point is simply not to plant more of them, and to give the ones you already have regular checkups.

Plant for Wind, Not Just Species

Give Roots Room

UF/IFAS found 91 percent survival for trees with more than 75 square feet of rooting space, compared with 64 percent for trees squeezed into less than 40. The suggested minimums are 10 by 10 feet for small trees, 20 by 20 for medium and 30 by 30 for large. A narrow strip between a sidewalk and a driveway is not a home for an oak.

Plant in Groups

Trees planted in clusters of five or more survived better than lone trees in Hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne. A grouping of magnolias and hollies along a back property line in Westchase or New Tampa shelters each tree in the group.

Right Tree, Right Place

Tampa Electric asks homeowners to keep tall trees well away from power lines and transformers. Under or near wires, choose a crape myrtle or holly that stays short, rather than an oak that will be cut back hard every few years.

Start Young Trees Right

Structural pruning in the first few years builds a single strong trunk and well-spaced limbs. That one step prevents most of the weak unions that cause failures decades later. Our tree trimming and pruning crews handle young-tree training at a fraction of what a mature-tree fix costs.

If you are replacing a storm-damaged tree, the old stump has to go first. Stump grinding runs $100 to $400 per stump, and full stump extraction runs $350 to $750 when you need clean soil for a new root ball. For a whole yard of storm wreckage, land clearing and brush removal gets the site ready in one visit.

Check With the City and Your HOA

The City of Tampa publishes a Preferred Tree List of species suited to the local climate, and Hillsborough County keeps an approved street tree list for right-of-way planting. If a tree removal permit required replacement trees, the City's forester can tell you which species count.

Get Advice Before You Plant

We are happy to walk your yard, mark the safe spots for a big tree and give you a free estimate for clearing the old stumps first.