If you’re a Cairns resident, you’ll know how absolutely crazy our weather can get. One minute the sun’s sparkling off the sea, then 5 minutes later, the sky has turned green, the wind has whipped up and there’s a code black weather warning! Thankfully, most buildings and other structures are cyclone safe and locals generally know what to do in a weather emergency; however, there’s one aspect of weather safety planning that’s often overlooked – the safety of surrounding trees.
The safest thing you can do is ensure there are NO tall trees within falling distance of a building, infrastructure or other places where humans congregate. This is because there’s no such thing as a tree that can withstand all types of severe weather. The problem with that tip though is that trees are great and we usually want them around. They assist the environment, look beautiful, can add value to your property and as you’ll see below, they can even help protect your property during a storm, so how can we find that balance between enjoying trees in our yards and staying safe during the storm season? You can ensure dangerous trees aren’t present and plant wind resistant ones instead!
The factors that influence wind resistance include the tree’s root system, the tree’s foliage distribution and density, as well as changing factors, such as the wind intensity and the wetness of the soil at the time of the storm. While wind intensity is the one factor that cannot be deliberately changed, the type of tree (cyclone friendly roots and foliage) and where you plant it (soil with good drainage) can be. We look at other factors, below.
The characteristics that constitute a wind-resistant tree include:
Good flexibility – trees with thin, flexible branches, such as some palms.
A deep or well-developed root system – trees with large taproots are the best, but good root systems can be weakened by factors such as trees planted around concrete or those who have had roots cut by road works or similar
Fast defoliation rate – this refers to a tree’s ability to drop leaves easily during winds etc.
Foliage thickness – fine/thin leaves on plants – such as those on She-oaks, Leptospermum, Poinciana, Bottlebrushes and similar – offer less resistance than those with broader leaves.
Density of branches or canopy – trees with open branch systems, such as Milky Pines or Sea Almond, let the wind pass through easily, reducing resistance.
Size and weight of crown or canopy – trees that are top heavy are obviously more prone to falling
Tree health – healthy trees with no damage, pests or disease and those that grow slowly are tougher and less likely to fall.
Trees planted in clusters – trees planted in clusters can still come down, but the windward side trees usually fall into the trees behind them and the other trees are sheltered from the wind, protecting the cluster from falling completely.
Some species of wind resistant trees include, but are not limited to: Alstonia actinopyhlla (Milky Pine), Arenga australasica (Native Sugar/Honey Palm, Calophyllum inophyllum (Mastwood, Alexandrian Laurel), Cryptocarya hypospodia (Laurel), Cycas spp. (Cycads), Euroschinus falcatus (Ribbon Wood), Ficus rubiginosa (Rusty Fig, Rock Fig), Mangifera indica (Mango).
In ‘The Best Trees for Cairns’ Crazy Weather Part 2’, we’ll look at the factors that cause trees to become unstable in storms, as well as identify the species that you shouldn’t plant in Cairns. If you’d like your trees identified or checked for their wind resistance, give Cairns Tree Services a call and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
