Should I Worry About My Trees?
Published on February 01, 2024
Should I Worry About My Trees?
The vast majority of Florida is blanketed with many large evergreen, semi-evergreen, and conifer trees. The size of these trees can sometimes be worrisome for residents, especially if you’re new to Florida and its unique weather. You may have seen news stories of trees falling on homes, massive limbs crushing cars, and you may be afraid the same thing will happen to you.
It's important to remember that trees are more often victorious than they are failures. In fact, most trees survive storms and continue to provide shade, oxygen, and shelter for wildlife. Trees also provide protection by buffering strong winds away from your home. Basically, the tree bears the brunt of the storm instead of your house.
Of course, there are some trees that do fail. This is often due to preexisting structural issues, health problems, or improper pruning. Some tree species are also just better suited for Florida weather. Trees that typically fare well in Florida storms have a slow growth rate, strong architecture, and high wind resistance. A few good examples are the Southern live oak, sand live oak, magnolia, and bald cypress.
In Dunedin, the most abundant tree is the Southern live oak. This is the tree commonly seen draped with the whimsical Spanish moss, often sprawling across an entire property. Live oaks are touted for their strength and longevity; hence, the reason they dominate the urban canopy in many coastal Florida communities. Live oaks typically have superior architecture within their canopies, boasting deep U-shaped branch unions, lessening the likelihood of branch failure.
You may be asking yourself a lot of questions: “How do I know what trees I have? What is their condition? How do I keep them healthy and strong?” The best option is to hire an ISA Certified Arborist with a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) to complete a thorough tree risk assessment of all of your trees. There are many levels of assessment that can be performed from both ground and aerial level. A professional ISA Certified Arborist with TRAQ credential will be able to properly assess your tree(s) and provide a tree risk assessment report with risk ratings and recommendations.
The City of Dunedin’s Parks and Recreation Department continues to plant high wind resistant trees in our parks and city right-of-ways. You can do your part to help reestablish our urban tree canopy by planting the right tree in the right place. If you are interested in planting more trees and enhancing Dunedin’s urban tree canopy, please join us for our 2024 Arbor Day Tree Giveaway. This event will take place on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 8:00 AM at Achieva Credit Union Corporate Headquarters, located at 1659 Achieva Way. Dunedin residents (with proof of residency) will receive two 3-gallon trees while supplies last.
For more information, please visit www.DunedinGov.com/trees or call 727-298-3279.