A favorite pastime of mine is making lists of plants for special conditions. One outcome is the list below, Storm-worthy Native Trees of New England.
One thing I've learned about wind and trees, however, is that there is no simple list of "wind-firm" species. Trees adapt to their locations. Their height, spread, strength, water transport, nutrient storage, and more respond to local conditions.
Therefore, consider the trees below as suggestions. Two studies and a database contributed to the creation of this list, linked at the end of the article:
Native trees less than 25’
- Beach plum, Prunus maritima
- Chickasaw Plum, Prunus angustifolia
- Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida
- Redbud, Cercis canadensis
- River Birch, dwarf, Betula nigra ‘Little King’
- Serviceberry, Amelanchier spp.
Native Trees 20’ – 40’
- American Holly, Ilex opaca
- American Hophornbeam, Ostrya virginiana
- American Hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana
- Arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis
- Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana
- Eastern Redcedar, Juniperus virginiana
- Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis
- Hawthorn, Crataegus viridis
- Hawthorn, Thornless Cockspur, Crataegus crus-galli var. inernmis
- Sweetbay magnolia, Magnolia virginiana
Native Trees over 40’
- American sycamore, Platanus occidentalis
- Black Gum, a.k.a. Tupelo, Nyssa sylvatica
- Burr Oak, Quercus macrocarpa
- Pin Oak, Quercus palustris
Wind and Trees: Lessons Learned from Hurricanes, University of Florida Extension System. While some trees in this study don't grow in New England, many others do. I found the study valuable for other ideas, too, such as planting trees in pods of five or seven--rather than in a line. The pod arrangement may improve the wind-firmness of each member of the pod.
Acclimation of mechanical and hydraulic functions in trees: impact of the thigmomorphogenetic process. Badel E, Ewers FW, Cochard H, Telewski FW.
I-Tree Species, a service of the I-Tree suite of products.
Updated 2/20/24