FOR224 Potential Woody Species and Species Attributes for Windbreaks in Florida 1 Michael G. Andreu, Bijay Tamang, Donald L. Rockwood, and Melissa H. Friedman 2 1. This document is FOR224, one of a series of the School of Forest Resources and Conservation Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date June 2009. Reviewed March 2015. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.uf.edu. 2. Michael G. Andreu, associate professor; Bijay Tamang, Ph.D. student; Donald L. Rockwood, professor; and Melissa H. Friedman, biological scientist, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or afliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension ofce. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Windbreaks, both living and artifcial, beneft farmers and growers throughout the world. Windbreaks literally reduce wind speeds, thereby providing plants and animals with better environments in which to thrive (Refer to EDIS publication FOR192 http://edis.ifas.uf.edu/pdfles/FR/ FR25300.pdf for other windbreak benefts). In a living windbreak, the type of vegetation varies depending on the amount of protection needed or desired. In some parts of Florida, grasses such as sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) or ryegrass (Lolium spp.) are planted in windbreaks around vegetable felds. In other instances, citrus groves have been protected from cold by planting tall perennial plants like slash pine trees in combination with a shorter-growing plant like redcedar for protection from wind that causes scarring of the fruit and lowers its value as a fresh fruit. More recently, windbreaks have been explored for their potential to help manage canker, a bacterial disease spread by wind during wet conditions. In all cases, the function of a windbreak is directly related to its design, and in particular, the species selected and their attributes. Tus, proper species selection is the most important step in planning a windbreak; when selecting species, the grower must consider site factors such as climate, soil, and amount of area to be protected (taller windbreaks protect larger areas) so that he or she can choose windbreak species with attributes that meet the necessary criteria (Table 1). Information about individual species attributes can be obtained from Table 2 and various print and internet resources (see Plant Species tables in http://www.crec.ifas.uf.edu/extension/windbreaks/design. htm and other references at the end of this factsheet). Evergreen vs. Deciduous Evergreen trees retain leaves throughout the year, while deciduous trees drop most or all of their leaves during the dormant season. Evergreen species provide wind protection throughout the year. If heavy shading is a problem in the winter months, then a deciduous species may be a better planting option. However, the choice of one type of plant or another will largely depend on prevailing environmental conditions and windbreak purposes. If, for example, winds associated with storms or natural climatic variability occur in winter, then an evergreen plant might be required. Evergreen species commonly planted in windbreaks in Florida are eastern redcedar (Juniperus viriginiana) and slash pine (Pinus elliottii). While these are both native to Florida, they share few other attributes. Both can grow in poor, sandy soils, but slash pine does better on wetter sites than eastern redcedar, while eastern redcedar does better on clayey and alkaline soils. Slash pines tend to grow faster and taller (more than100 feet) at maturity than eastern redcedar (about 40 feet). Some evergreen broadleaf species such as the non-native Eucalyptus grandis or cadaghi (Corymbia torelliana) are being evaluated successfully in windbreaks in parts of Florida so far.