* Exposure: Plants on the north or northwest side of a structure will be the most exposed to the cold.Plants located on a south or southeast exposure may receive some protection from severe cold.* Snow and ice coverage of lawns, soil and plants does have an insulating effect if it happens BEFORE the freeze.Consult the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for the most accurate information on low temperature tolerance.Central Texas has highly variable winter temperatures, which makes it difficult for many species to enter dormancy.Plants that have begun to “emerge” in early spring with new growth will be more susceptible to cold damage.Be sure to make the cut in the appropriate place to avoid insect and disease entry into the tree.).These include succulents, Agaves, tropical plants and herbaceous perennials.Perennials such as Society Garlic may be clipped off at the soil line, as they may come back from the roots.Shedding leaves can indicate living stem tissue, and depending on species, may offer a ray of hope.However, bowing can cause internal cracks or vascular system damage and limbs may not return to their normal position.We unfortunately cannot see the damage inside the limb, and would recommend consulting a Certified Arborist to assess the options.If potatoes had started to sprout and leaves turned black, trim them off just below ground and wait for more to appear.Any veggie plants that have turned to mush should be clipped off at the soil line and composted.Do not apply pre-emergent, post-emergent herbicide or fertilizer until the lawn has shown that it is “coming back” well.The ice/snow cover was beneficial as it captured ground heat and acted as an insulator.It is possible that the crown of the grass survived and may make a decent recovery.Canna lilies: These are Zone 7-8 plants, so they may come back from the roots, especially if they were already dormant when the freeze hit.Elephant Ear: Colocasia esculenta varieties are mostly Zone 8, and all the ones that I have seen have mushy bulbs, tubers, and rhizomes.Like the Pride of Barbados, it will be late to come back if it is going to, so patience is key.Holly Fern: If these Zone 6 plants were watered and well-mulched, there is a good chance that they will return.It does not regrow well if cut back hard, so wait to see if it puts out new growth before making any decisions.Mexican Bush Sage, Mystic Spires Salvia: Both are Zone 7, so chances are better for them to come back, especially if mulched and watered before freeze.Mealy Blue Sage: Although a tough perennial, these are Zone 8, so again, wait and watch.Mint Marigold: I have also lost this Zone 8 perennial in less cold winters.Mexican Firebush: Although this is Zone 8b, it rarely comes through a cold winter here.Orange Zest Cestrum: I am worried about mine coming back this year.Replacement plants won’t be available until late spring anyway, so no need be in a rush.Salvia greggii: Many will probably come back from the roots, as they are a Zone 6 plant.Society Garlic: This Zone 7 plant has gone to mush and should be clipped off at the ground.Flax Lily: Zone 8a, but I’ve lost these to less cold winters.They are worth replacing, as they are deer resistant and tolerate shade, which is rare.Even our native Sabal minor has some damage, but looks a bit better if it is planted understory.We are waiting to see how our suppliers “wintered” this storm, as it is likely to affect palm availability in the near future.Roses are generally considered cold hardy in Central Texas.However, since Central Texas has had a relatively warm winter this year, many were not “hardened off” and some even showed new growth and blooms before the freeze.Again, protected location, maturity of the plant and mulch and water application before the freeze all contribute to survival.Common Tree Senna : These probably will not come back, but it depends on exposure.Dwarf Yaupon Holly: These Zone 7 shrubs may turn brown and lose their leaves, but I would expect most to leaf out this spring.Natchez, Tuscarora and Muskogee Crape Myrtles : These were damaged or killed in the ’83-’84 freeze.Wait until new growth shows, cut them back to living tissue or to the ground and be patient .Freeze-damaged trees can take some time to come back, but Crape Myrtles can be quite resilient.Other varieties are generally more winter hardy, and will require monitoring and pruning of dead twigs/branches when they leaf out.Desert Willow: These trees are prone to breakage from heavy ice or snow.I have seen them rally after being pruned heavily from ice damage, so don’t give up too soon.Encore Azalea: Hardy to Zone 7, so I am hoping that these will just defoliate and come back.If they were not putting on new growth or newly planted, and were in a protected location, they will probably be fine.Indian Hawthorn: Generally cold hardy to Zone 8, these have taken a hit this year.Italian Cypress: Many of these now have brown foliage, but we are hopeful that when they flush out they will recover.They are not root-hardy, however, and do not come back from the roots or flush from a hard prune into woody growth.Latent buds may grow and fill in, so wait until mid-Spring after you see new growth to lightly prune.They do not come back from the roots, so if yours is dead to the ground and does not scratch green anywhere on the trunk, you can go ahead and remove it.Loropetalum: Although these evergreen shrubs are hardy to Zone 7, if they were newly planted or in active growth when this freeze hit, they are more vulnerable.Wait for new growth from the ground to appear to make the decision whether to remove or cut them back.Pineapple Guava: These Zone 8 subtropical plants really suffer when the temperatures go below 15°F.You can cut them back severely if showing green stems, but wait for new growth to arrive.Remove broken branches now but wait to prune back hard until danger of freeze is past in March.The understory trees seem to have fared better, but boy do mine have a lot of broken branches!Texas Sage: There are many different species of Leucophyllum, and most are cold tolerant to Zone 8.If the bark splits, it is not a good sign, but I have seen them come back from stumps before, so be patient.Feel the base of that unfurled leaf, and if it is soft, go ahead and remove the plant.You will do better to remove these earlier than later, as bacteria and fungi proliferate on the dead tissue and makes for a smelly mess.In general, I think the Hesperaloes, or Red Yuccas, will be fine, although I have seen leaf damage.Some species may send up “pups”, so you might cut the plant to the ground and wait.Most plants will have brown leaves but can be mowed to 4”-6” and they should send out new growth in the spring.They are rated for Zone 8, and the roots may survive if planted in a protected location.Yes, it is fairly safe to grow Arctic Frost and Orange Frost Satsuma in the ground most years, as they are not a grafted variety and will come back “true” from their root stock if they freeze back.You can scratch the bark at the ground level to see if it “slips”-if so, it is probably not coming back.Apple, Peach, Pear, Plum, Nectarine, Apricot and Oriental Persimmon are hardy to Zones 4-5 if well-established.As mentioned before, it will depend on location, age, general health, moisture level in soil, whether they were exposed to prior cold temps and stage of growth of the trees.The biggest issue with young fruit trees will probably be “frost cracks” in the trunk.This is caused by wildly fluctuating temperatures and occurs on many thin barked species.Many trees have adapted with narrower xylem tissue that is also more resistant to freeze.Grown in Zone 3 with no issues, and the sturdy branching and strong wood make it less susceptible to breaking in ice storms.We are hoping the leaves will shed and trees will leaf out in March as usual.Shumard Red Oak and Texas Red Oak: I am not too worried about these, other than the sudden drop in temperature from a warm winter, then a quick warmup which could influence frost cracks.Canby Oak: Although hardy to Zone 5, they did not have a chance to acclimate like their northern counterparts, and were still holding leaves when the freeze hit, so there may be some damage.Young trees have thin bark so watch for frost cracks.Chinquapin Oak: Also hardy to Zone 5, and since they are fully deciduous, I would expect these to come through pretty well.Cedar Elm: Although these trees are prone to breakage due to narrow branching angles, they are very winter hardy here.(Zone 6) Prune broken branches at the appropriate place on the trunk to avoid future disease issues.Chinese Pistache: Hardy to Zone 6a and fully deciduous, we are expecting these to do pretty well, with some pruning likely needed after they leaf out.Please don’t hesitate to contact the nursery with additional questions, but please realize we may not have the answers!
