Wind Resistant Trees
As the weather becomes more extreme, storms increase in frequency and severity. Wind, ice, torrential rain, etc. can make it hard to grow trees. So, these are some trees with tough roots and branches that resist damage better than average. Try to avoid brittle species that break easily.
High Wind Resistance
beech -- American beech
crape myrtle
cypress -- bald cypress, pond cypress
dogwood
elderberry
golden raintree
holly -- American holly, Dahoon holly, Foster holly, fineline holly, yaupon holly
magnolia -- saucer magnolia, southern magnolia
maple -- black maple
oak -- live oak
redbud
sabal palm
Medium Wind Resistance
hickories
ironwood
maple -- Japanese maple, sugar maple
river birch
shumard oak
sweet bay magnolia
High Ice Resistance
American sweetgum
arborvitae
balsam fir
black walnut
blackgum
blue beech
buckeye -- Ohio buckeye, yellow buckeye
catalpa
crabapple
eastern hemlock
eastern redcedar
European larch
ginkgo
horse chestnut
ironwood
Kentucky coffee tree
maple -- Amur maple, black maple, Norway maple
mountain ash
northern white cedar
oak -- swamp white oak, white oak
serviceberry
spruce -- Colorado blue spruce, Norway spruce, white spruce
witch-hazel
Medium Ice Resistance
boxelder
chokecherry
Douglas fir
maple -- red maple, sugar maple
oak -- Chestnut oak, northern red oak, pin oak, scarlet oak
pine -- eastern white pine, red pine, Scotch pine, shortleaf pine, slash pine
sourwood
sycamore
tulip tree
white ash
High Wind & Ice Resistance
American beech
American sweetgum
Colorado spruce
cucumber tree magnolia
hickory -- bitternut hickory, mockernut hickory, pignut hickory, shagbark hickory
Kentucky coffeetree
linden -- littleleaf linden, silver linden
oak -- black oak, bur oak, northern red oak, swamp white oak, white oak
red maple
Medium Wind & Ice Resistance
Canada hemlock
common baldcypress
maple -- sugar maple
oak -- bur oak
pine -- ponderosa pine, red pine
sycamore
Compiled from articles including:
"Best Management Practices for Successful Urban Tree Plantings"
"Deciduous Small Trees for Windy Conditions"
"Hurricane Resistant Trees"
"Ice Resistant Tree Populations"
"Tall Trees That Resist Wind and Ice Damage" (temperate/northern)
"Trees and Ice Storms"
Native Trees
In any area, native species tend to survive hazards better than exotic trees. They are also more useful for local wildlife. I'm in central Illinois, so here's a list of local trees that are storm-resistant ...
Allegheny serviceberry (high ice resistance)
American bald cypress (high wind resistance)
American beech (high wind & ice resistance)
bitternut hickory, mockernut hickory, shagbark hickory, shellbark hickory (high wind & ice resistance)
black maple (high ice resistance)
black oak (high wind & ice resistance)
blackgum (high ice resistance)
bur oak (medium wind & ice resistance)
common chokecherry (medium ice resistance)
eastern redbud (high wind resistance)
eastern white pine (medium ice resistance)
ironwood (high ice resistance)
Kentucky coffeetree (high wind & ice resistance)
northern or western catalpa (high ice resistance)
northern red oak (medium wind & ice resistance)
Ohio buckeye (high ice resistance)
pagoda dogwood (high wind resistance)
pin oak (medium ice resistance)
red maple, sugar maple (medium wind & ice resistance)
shumard oak (medium wind resistance)
sweetgum (high wind & ice resistance)
sycamore (medium wind & ice resistance)
tulip tree (medium ice resistance)
white ash (medium ice resistance)
white oak, swamp white oak (high wind & ice resistance)
Compiled from articles including:
"Illinois Plants for Wildlife Habitat & Conservation Landscaping"
"List of Native Trees for Use Along Roadsides in Illinois"
"Native Trees of the Midwest"