Rainy season: Plant trees in your compound to guard against windstorms

There is more to trees in your home than just the beauty and the green cover they bring.

Trees play an important role of reducing the damage that could be caused by natural disasters like floods and strong winds that can strike at any given time.

It is the rainy season in many parts of Uganda now and homeowners have to do everything possible to keep their homes safe against harsh weather conditions.

There are certain trees that are favourable for our homes in guarding against such natural disasters. Whereas we need them, certain precautions need to be considered so that we can benefit from them.

Trees can destroy people’s property like cars and houses, not because the trees might have been weak against the strong winds, but probably because the distance between the tree and the property was not the required one.

Therefore, what kinds of trees are favourable for your compound in guarding against natural disasters like floods and high winds? Leonard Muzahura, a gardener, shares some insights about some of the trees that are favourable for this kind of weather.

Ficus benjamina

Ficus benjamina is commonly known for its English name of the ‘weeping fig’ because it has drooping branches and aerial roots which descend from the branches to the ground. Such trees have a strong root systems that can cause damage to the house, street or walkways if planted near those areas.

Ficus elastica

Ficus elastica is commonly known as a rubber plant. It is a green plant with a fast-growing rate. It can grow up to a height of 15-23metres. Such trees are good in acting as wind breakers in your compound.

Royal palms

The royal palms grow into straight and very large palms of up to a height of 50-80 feet. They are wind and flood-tolerant as well.  Muzahura says palms can be planted on smaller compounds because their root systems don’t cause massive damage on infrastructure which differs from the ficus benjamina trees which have vigorous roots. Other trees like the teminalia superbo tree, spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree), erythrina variegated (Indian coral tree) and terminalia brownii are also good wind breakers, are flood resistant and grow fast. The weeping tree can attain a height of up to 0.5metres each year.

Ashoka tree

Positioning

To benefit from trees in your compound, they should be planted in locations where they provide protection from the afternoon sun. According to Luyimbazi, the best position is the southwest corner of the house.

Cost

­The cost depends on two factors, the size and type. Such trees cost between sh30,000 and sh70,000.