Tree islands—small, wetland forest communities imbedded in a matrix of freshwater marsh—characterize Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in South Florida. The establishment and spread of invasive exotic plant species were hypothesized to alter tree-island communities and prolong recovery times from hurricane disturbances. During the fall of 2004, two hurricanes, Frances and Jeanne, caused damage to these tree islands. We examined the spatial extent of damage to tree islands and tree species across the Refuge by sampling 74 islands. Each tree island was assigned an overall damage rating based on both the openness of the canopy and the type and quantity of damage received. Distance from the eye-wall of the hurricanes, tree-island size, average tree height on the island, and relative abundance of invasive exotic plants were examined as predictors of damage. Over 85% of the sampled tree islands had damage, with most of the damage occurring in the center of the Refuge. Most tree islands were found to have moderate damage, (i.e., snapped large branches and less than 50% canopy cover removed). Persea palustris (swamp bays) had more snapped trunks than Ilex cassine (dahoon holly) and Myrica cerifera (wax myrtle). Islands with larger trees had heavier damage than islands with shrubs or smaller trees. Fifty-eight percent of the tree islands sampled had either Lygodium microphyllum (lygodium) and/or Melaleuca quinquenervia (melaleuca). The only island with severe damage had abundant lygodium that appeared to have caused the entire canopy to collapse. These hurricanes present a unique opportunity to investigate recovery patterns of tree islands in an ecosystem impacted by invasive exotics. They also provide an opportunity to examine patterns of spread and recruitment of lygodium and melaleuca.