summerdean: Native trees, especially those with wide spreading branches, low centers of gravity, strong deep root systems, and small leaf size hold up better in windy conditions (and tropical storms). This is especially true if they are growing in mixed groves of trees. Solitary trees have less wind resistance than massed trees. The cypress trees - bald cypress or pond cypress are the premier storm resistant trees. This is largely due to their deciduous nature, fine leaf pattern, tapered and balanced central leader, minimal branch pattern, broadly balanced root system. Dawn redwood falls into the same category. Favorites for their interesting trunks and soft green needles. You are interested in flowering trees - these are above average in wind resistance: Carolina Silverbell - Halesia tetraptera or H. carolina - lovely flowering tree Japanese Tree Lilac - Syringa reticulata Pagoda Dogwood - Cornus alternifolia - very nice shape and blooms Panicled Golden Raintree - Koelreuteria paniculata - dramatic show at least twice a year Sargent Cherry - Prunus sargentii Fringetree - Chionanthus virginicus - I love these trees - they take a beating and thrive where I live. Crape Myrtles Evergreens provide privacy from the road: Southern Magnolia - Magnolia grandiflora - as Spurce says, is incredibly tolerant of windy conditions Sweetbay Magnolia - Magnolia virginiana - smaller, fragrant flowers, partially evergreen species available Red Cedar - Juniperus virginiana American Holly - Ilex opaca - evergreen, good screen for road Larger trees with good wind resistance: American Hornbeam or Musclewood- Carpinus caroliniana Hophornbeam - Ostrya virginiana Wild Cherry - Prunus serotina Catalpa Trees - Catalpa speciosa River Birch - Betula nigra Black Gum - Nyssa sylvatica (personal favorite, outstanding fall color) Black Walnut - Juglans nigra Black Locust - Robinia pseudoacacia If you decide to plant a few shade trees or specimens: Shumard Oak - Quercus shumardii Nutall Oak - Q. nuttalli Cherrybark Oak - Q. falcata v. pagodafolia Swamp chestnut oak - Q. michauxii Live oak - Q. virginiana White oak - Q. alba Sycamore - Platanus occidentalis London Planetree - Platanus x acerifolia Winged Elm - Ulmus alata Since you are interested in flowering trees, you may want to consider 'shrubs' - many are larger than small trees and will give you more variety. Happy planting! Pam

You have a lot going on with Black pine. If it's a seedling then you have roots that you want. The problem with Pinus thunbergii is humidity. That's where your plant will first become weakened. Then it's a chain of events. The humidity will lead to foliar diseases which upon insects will become attracted (immune system is failing) and when the species can't hack it anymore it will eventually die. Now that being said, if you bought a grafted Pinus thunbergii and do not know what the roots are that it is grafted onto, you may not have a compatible root-system for your soil. That attraction to Japanese black pine because of salt tolerance can easily be thrown out the window if it's not on Japanese black pine roots. Pines are easily grafted on other species, and that is what I'm talking about. No matter what though, whichever root system is in place, the foliage of Pinus thunbergii/Japanese black pine will not tolerate in the long run humidity. That pine will shut down just like that Prunus you bought. 15-years tops. You may get six or eight good years out of it before the needle issues fully develop. Sorry to pass along the bad news. There are people chiming in on this thread like myself that have been doing this stuff nearly 100% as a hobby/line of work for a long time or a very long time. Dax

how about Royal Poinciana? or Hong Kong Orchid Tree? I see them planted around Miami area - very old trees, so they should be doing good in hurricanes. i looked at the wind-resistant list (great link!) and see that Crepe Myrtles do well as well Magnolia virginiana. Podocarpus is everywhere too - mostly as hedge. Lignum vitae is a lovely small tree - but it grows superslow and is expensive because of that. Coccoloba (Sea Grape) is a small wide tree too. And Japanese Fern Tree is a very beautiful smallish tree (Filicium decipiens). Date Palms, Foxtail and Fishtail Palms are everywhere. here's a good guide for South FL

December update: After yet another massive storm which hit my garden with 60mph winds, and a year of hindsight, here are some additional observations. Staking: works very well for everyday windy conditions. However, stakes need to be changed every few months as the rose grows, to ensure that the canes are tied almost to the top. If the cane grows more than a foot past the stake it is prone to getting snapped off at the tie-down point.  Storm prep: in very high winds, staking is not enough. Even staked roses will suffer from defoliation. For large roses (3+ feet tall) I have come to accept that the simplest and easiest way to avoid storm damage is to lie the pots down on their side, facing away from the dominant wind. The rose won't mind if this only lasts for a day or two, while the worst of the storm passes through. Large roses in pots WILL get knocked over by gale-force winds anyway, so might as well pre-emptively lie them down gently. I use mostly square pots so they won't roll around.  For smaller roses, or newly planted bare-root roses that have tender new growth, grouping and wrapping in burlap works very well. The burlap allows some air and light through but is a very effective windbreak. Create a tent-like structure by placing stakes that are slightly taller than the roses to drape the burlap over. Make sure the burlap is tucked firmly under the pots with no loose ends for the wind to catch, and secure with a tie around the pots. Two ties are better than one. Climbers: avoid, avoid, avoid. I only have one climber, Teasing Georgia, which did well in the spring storms, but this time around the winds actually tore her canes right off of the trellis and there was a LOT of cane breakage and defoliation. Climbers can't be laid down on their sides (although perhaps if they're on an obelisk you could?), so it is really just asking for trouble. I am keeping TG because I love her, but never again another climber. Once again the Hybrid Perpetuals were devastated. I am doing away with White Jacques Cartier this weekend, this rose just has too many flaws and I am tired of waiting for her to improve. The other two (Boufarik and Chios) will remain, for now, although Chios is also on the shortlist of roses I might get rid of at some point: it was a real PM factory this fall. Rugosas: now that they are more established, my rugosas did amazingly well against the wind. Very impressed with this class' performance here.  Hulthemias : also very good performance, although they are not all equal. Eyes for You's leaves are thinner and were much more affected than the more leathery foliage of Raspberry Kiss and Orienta Aylin. HT's and Austin: I had laid a lot of them down on their sides, so they did mostly ok! Out of those that were left upright, Huddersfield Choral Society, Charles de Gaulle and Heidi Klum did the best. Charles de Gaulle even managed to cling to a bloom in the full gale winds! This rose started out so weak, but I am quite impressed with how much stronger he's getting. On the other hand, Pink Ekrixis is severely damaged, and like White JC, it's one too many flaws, so she's going away. Heritage suffered a bit, but not as badly as I had feared. Finally, Princess Anne is living up to what DA had promised, and is in relatively good shape. All of this confirms that smaller leaves with a thick, leathery appearance, and rugosa foliage is the way to go in very windy conditions. In the future, this is going to be my main selection criteria for new roses.