Our area hasn’t seen single-digit temps since the 1980s. So what garden tasks should take priority? First, check for leaks. Then assess your plants — or what’s left of them.
This week’s valentine vortex will be long remembered, with Texas’ lowest temperatures in 40 years: a veritable gut punch to those who forget how far local weather can run off the rails.
First things first, damage to pipes won’t become apparent until temperatures warm up. So if you suspect a leak, remember you can use your water meter to confirm it. If your meter is equipped with a water flow sensor, leaks may be detected even sooner.
Casualties in the landscape will be widespread, especially if you have non-native plants. Palms, in particular, are notoriously difficult to protect in cold weather, and the tallest fan, date and feather palms are some of the most vulnerable to extreme cold. Sago palms, on the other hand, will normally recover (they survived the dinosaurs!) though they may require some pruning and will take months to regrow damaged leaves.
Woody plants are tricky since these can take time to assess. Oleander, esperanza, firebush and poinciana are good examples; some years they hang on all winter and then get wiped out in a single cold night. Many semi-tropical plants like those previously mentioned will be suddenly dropping leaves after the recent single-digit temps.
A few will have to regrow from the roots, which is expected every few years from a plant like oleander or Mexican olive. But for many citrus trees, sometimes the graft itself is lost, and all that’ll be left is rootstock. The strongest citrus against the freeze are Chang-Sha tangerine and the Moi Satsuma mandarin hybrids, ‘Arctic Frost’ and ‘Orange Frost’.
Trees can be some of the toughest losses in the landscape. If you do end up having to replant, stick with natives wherever possible since they rarely, if ever, die from freeze.
Most of our recommended WaterSaver perennials can claw their way back from the roots when they have to, even after their tops have frozen off. Remember this when it comes to agapanthus, philodendron, and even some cactus may appear to have melted into brown mush.
On the bright side: Your pruning has been done for you! Most of these were ready to be pruned next month and spring back from the roots anyway.
By Seth Patterson, a naturalist by nature, Seth spent his early childhood crawling through creeks and caves of the Hill Country before moving to South Texas where he found his passion in nature photography. Now an avid scuba diver and underwater photographer, Seth follows the water wherever he lands and truly takes to heart his role as a conservation consultant for San Antonio Water System.
12 Comments
My sago palms have turned yellow. What should be done with them?
The best thing to do for your Sago palm is to cut back each individual frond that isn’t green all the way to the trunk. Be careful not to cut the actual trunk. After that, you will have to be patient and wait for new growth to come out which could take up to a few months.
My 2-3 yr old citru and avocado tree branches have turned yellow from the freeze. I blanketed and tarped them, but they still got dam. I pruned some minor branches and the insides are whitish (still alive?). Some of the thicker branches towards the trunk and/or trunks show damage but when I scratch with my nail, there’s green under the bark. Will they recover and should I fertilize them? My plumeria, dragon fruits, huge night blooming Ceres, tuberose, etc. are gone.
As long as there is green wherever you scratch then your plants are still alive. Just need to be a little more patient for new growth.
My fig tree is still green when I scrape the trunk, but isn’t leafing out yet. Is it dead?
As long as there is green wherever you scratch the limbs, then that means it is alive. Just need to be a little more patients for it to leaf back out.
I purchased creeping and r trailing Rosemary from you all years ago to grow over a rock wall. After this winters freeze it was completely brown.I cut off all the Leafy parts and left just branches. I was hoping it would grow back being it’s been so well established. The trunk or root that is coming out of the ground is about 2.5” in diameter. So far as of April 16th I see one small green sprig growing out of one plant, but nothing out of the others. How can I tell if it will grow back or if all is a loss? I went to your nursery and at the time you didn’t have any creeping or trailing Rosemary. If it’s a loss what is another evergreen creeping or trailing easy to grow plant can I to substitute the Rosemary. I purchased creeping and r trailing Rosemary from you all years ago to grow over a rock wall. After this winters freeze it was completely brown.I cut off all the Leafy parts and left just branches. I was hoping it would grow back being it’s been so well established. The trunk or root that is coming out of the ground is about 2.5” in diameter. So far as of April 16th I see one small green sprig growing out of one plant, but nothing out of the others. How can I tell if it will grow back or if all is a loss? I went to your nursery and at the time you didn’t have any creeping or trailing Rosemary. If it’s a loss what is another every green creeping or trailing easy to grow plant can I substitute for foe the Rosemary? Will you be getter no more trailing creeping Rosemary in? I can’t get anyone to answer the phone to ask.
Thank you for any help
Ann
It might take well into summer time to see if it will come back from the root system or not. The best way to inquire about availability of plants is by email at nursery@milbergersa.com
My two healthy dragon trees lost their leaves and froze even though I put them in the garage during the big freeze. My larger ones, one being almost 10 ft tall, look totally dead with nothin left but the long skinny trunk. I noticed that at the tops they look like the started to get moldy. Am I just to hopeful they’ll come back to life or have they perished for good?
Thanks for ur help,
Stella
You will need to perform the “scratch test” to determine your plan of action. If you scratch at the trunk or limbs are they show up brown then those sections are dead and need to be pruned off. If they show up green then it is still viable and you just need to give it more time to leaf back out.
I have a Mexican olive tree that was a year old, that was impacted b6 the snow… it is coming back at the base of the tree do I just allow it to grow from the bottom? Cutting off the old trunk?
You will need to perform the “scratch test” to determine your plan of action. If you scratch at the trunk or limbs are they show up brown then those sections are dead and need to be pruned off. If they show up green then it is still viable and you just need to give it more time to leaf back out.