Wind resistant plants

There are plants that are born in adverse conditions and that is why they must adapt to the habitat and create the most ideal conditions to survive. Factors such as extreme salinity, droughts, desert climates, frosts or strong winds force plants to find viable alternatives that help them continue living. The latter is especially important, since depending on their speed it could even tear them off the ground.

Therefore, if you live in a windy area, we are going to talk about the wind resistant plants, those plants that must withstand winds of several kilometers of speed and remain stoic.

How does the wind affect the plants?

The movement of air in the atmosphere causes the wind, a factor that causes the rapid dehydration of plants in addition to drying out the soil and affecting the parts of the specimens. Stems, leaves and branches can be affected by gusts that threaten their fullness and integrity, especially in areas prone to hurricanes or in places near the sea where it is also a wind that is accompanied by salt.

To resist the wind these plants have adapted over time and generations and that's how they have stronger fabrics both in its branches and in the trunks. This is one of the variants, although there are also plants to which the opposite has happened: their branches or stems have become more flexible in order to accompany the swings of the wind without breaking.

In other cases, the plants have stopped its height or acquired more rounded shapes so as not to suffer the ravages of the gusts that threaten their integrity. These alternatives also help to avoid dehydration. But if this seems little to you, in areas where the wind blows strongly in a predominant direction, plants grow in that direction.

Plant care

If you live in a place with strong winds, you can help your plants by placing stakes so that the plants can lean on them, especially during the first years and when they are weaker. Another viable alternative is to cover them with natural protective screens, that is, you can plant some wind-resistant specimens such as certain shrubs to protect them.

A third option is to protect them with artificial screens such as panels or latticework. and a fourth is look for plants that are wind resistant.

Selection of wind resistant plants

If you are looking for some that can help you protect your garden from the wind, and / or that are capable of living well in windy conditions, write down:

Plants for windy terraces

There are many plants that can be grown in pots and that are ideal for windy areas, among them we find the following:

Palm hearts

The palm heart, whose scientific name is Chamaerops humilis, is a multi-stemmed palm -that is, with several trunks-, native to North Africa and Southeast and Southwest Europe. It is usually found near the coast, where there can be intense gusts of wind.

It grows up to 4 meters tall, and develops palmate leaves divided into 24-32 green or bluish leaflets. It resists drought and high temperatures very well, as well as light to moderate frost, making it one of the best sun and wind resistant outdoor plants.

Rosemary

Rosemary, whose scientific name is Rosmarinus officinalis, is an aromatic plant native to the Mediterranean region. It lives well on the coast, where the winds can be strong. In addition, it resists drought and high temperatures very well, although moderate frosts do not harm it either.

It reaches a height of around one meter, although it can be pruned in late winter to make it smaller, so it is grown both in the garden and in pots.

Kumquat

The kumquat, also known as the Chinese orange or dwarf orange, is a shrub or small tree belonging to the genus Fortunella. It is originally from China, and it is resistant to wind and sun.

It grows only up to 5 meters in height, with a rounded crown composed of green leaves. It produces fruits similar to oranges, but much smaller, and with a bitter taste. It requires moderate watering, but otherwise, it supports moderate frosts.

Reed

The rush, belonging to the genus Juncus, is a plant native to the Mediterranean basin, where it lives on banks and swamps, as well as in other humid places. He doesn't dislike the wind, which is why he deserves to be on this list.

Develops stems up to 90 centimeters tall, and blooms from April to July, producing compound, small, brownish flowers. It needs very frequent waterings.

Plants for windy gardens

If you want to put wind resistant plants in a garden, we recommend the following:

Privet

The privet, also known as henna, whose scientific name is Ligustrum vulgare, is an evergreen shrub native to Europe and Asia. It lives without problems in very exposed areas, which is why it is used so much as a hedge in gardens with sun and wind.

Grows up to 2-3 meters tall, and produces very showy white flowers in spring. In cultivation it requires moderate watering, but it is not harmed by cold or frost.

Flowering dogwood

The flowering dogwood or flowering bloodsucker, whose scientific name is cornus florida, is a deciduous tree native to eastern North America. It is a very resistant plant, in addition to being beautiful, which is great as an isolated specimen or as windbreak hedges.

It grows up to 10 meters in height, and produces large numbers of white flowers in spring. It requires frequent watering, although it resists moderate frost without difficulty. In addition, it is also a good tree to have on the terrace or in the attic, since it tolerates pruning.

Eponymous

The eponymous, also known as boxwood, bonnet, bonnet of priest or husera, is a deciduous shrub native to central Europe. Its scientific name is Euonymus europaeus, and it is a plant that is widely used as a windbreak hedge in gardens.

Reaches a height of 3 to 6 meters, with lanceolate green leaves. In order to grow, it requires moderate watering and a sunny exposure.

Oron

The orón or asar, whose scientific name is acer opalus, is a deciduous tree native to southern and western Europe, where it lives in the hills and mountains. Thanks to the conditions in which it lives in the wild, it is an ideal plant for windy gardens.

It can reach a height of 20 meters, with a rounded and open cup. It is also quite resistant to pruning, but extreme droughts are very damaging to it, so it is advisable to water it regularly. Resists moderate frosts.

Sun and wind resistant outdoor plants

Sometimes the circumstances exist that the land available to put plants, whether in a pot or on the ground, is exposed to the wind and also to the sun. When that happens, we have to look for plants that are very resistant to both, like these:

Lavender

Lavender, also called lavender, lavender or lavender, is a plant belonging to the genus Lavandula. Native to the Macaronesian and Mediterranean regions, it is a bush or subshrub that we will find even in gardens near the coast.

Reaches a maximum height of one meter, and during the spring it is filled with numerous lavender-colored inflorescences. In addition, it resists drought and light to moderate frosts very well. With it, you can make beautiful hedges for very low maintenance terraces.

Cape Milkmaid

The Cape Milkmaid, whose scientific name is Polygala myrtifolia, is an evergreen shrub native to South Africa. It has a very high ornamental value, especially when it is in flower, and it is a very interesting species for gardens and coastal terraces or exposed to the wind.

Reaches 2 meters in height, rarely 4 meters, and blooms during the spring producing purple flowers. It loves the sun, and is also somewhat drought resistant. The only drawback is that it requires protection against moderate and strong frosts.

Common linden

The common linden, also known as broad-leaved linden or large-leaved linden, and whose scientific name is Tilia platyphyllos, is a deciduous tree with a pyramidal crown native to the forests of Europe, where it usually grows accompanied by beech, maples, rowan or pines, among others.

It grows up to 30 meters in height, and its flowers bloom from late spring to summer. It needs frequent irrigation because it does not resist drought. Likewise, it is an ideal plant to put in a north orientation and it is also perfect for areas with a temperate or mountainous climate since it supports moderate frosts.

washingtonia

The Washingtonia, or fan leaf palm, is a palm native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It grows at a good rate, reaching up to 50 centimeters per year if it has some water. It is common for it to be planted in exposed areas.

Reaches a maximum height of 20 meters, with a trunk that can be thin (Robust Washingtonia) or thick (Washingtonia will spin). The leaves are green, fan-shaped, and large. They are very resistant to both sun and wind, as well as drought.

What do you think of these wind resistant plants? Do you know others?