Cold Weather Plants
Anne Jaeger
“Going, going, gone.” Well, maybe not yet. You’ve got to have faith that it’s still too soon to tell how bad the cold snap zapped our precious plants. I know I’ve lost some of my favorites, but I’ll be darned if I’m going to give up hope of a resurrection until the bitter end. And the experts tell me we may be surprised which plants are actually “down for the count” when all is said and done. Yes, the weather has been playing Russian roulette with our plants and trees. But we aren’t going to know the full effects of what’s lost and what’s not until much later.
Jan McNeilan, consumer horticulture agent and statewide coordinator for the Master Gardener program says “don’t get too anxious about what lived or what died just yet.” McNeilan says we should hold off until warmer weather before we use the pruners or the shovel to discard. And here’s why. Some perennials will die right back to the ground and then come up from the base even though the top looks melted or turned to mush. This can happen with brugmansia “Angel’s Trumpet”, abutilon “Flowering Maple”, hardy fuchsia and many other plants which aren’t supposed to survive winters like this. Now, what about the geraniums you’ve kept alive the last several winters outside? Well, they are toast and it will be interesting to see which tender perennials pull through this.
Here’s the trick. We have to wait until all danger of frost is gone (in our area, that usually comes around tax day in mid April) before we get out there and see what survived. Don’t be fooled by the “false spring” we usually get in February, either. There’s always a week or so of absolutely balmy weather in mid February when the temperature warms up and it’s downright spring like. That’s too early still. We need to play it cool until closer to April to get out there. Then you’ll prune the plant, shrub or tree down to new growth. Sometimes that means to the ground.
Now, you’ve probably noticed that your camellias and rhodies are looking pretty darn sad. For the most part, there’s nothing to worry about. Those curled and shriveled leaves you’re seeing are just their response to cold, they’re trying to protect themselves from the cold and prevent any more moisture loss. McNeilan promises the rhodies will perk up again given better temps and some rain.
We haven’t had a winter like this in years. No doubt we will pay for it and lose some plants. Cistus Design Nursery on Sauvie Island prides itself on selling unusual plants gathered from all over the world to live in our climate. In fact, the nurseries email address (zonal denial at cistus dot com) tells you a lot about the owners’ efforts to push the boundaries or growing zones of what plants will transplant into our climate from warmer spots. Adam Kennedy, the nursery manager says most of the agaves, jades and many ground covers are likely suffering the effects of frozen Popsicle syndrome. That means they’re goners too. But, you may be spared the loss if you mulched or wrapped windmill palm, hardy banana and hardy gardenia. Again, those plants may look like sin by now, but don’t give up hope. Their roots might have made it and may surprise you with new shoots.
So, was that cold snap last call for plants? Are they really “going, going, gone?” The answer is the same for optimistic and pessimist alike: It’s too soon to tell.
