Wait-and-see approach
Texas A&M experts weigh in on how bottlebrush, sago palms and jasmine will fare
Signs of life are sprouting in the ground, on bush stems and tree branches. So there’s hope that all is not lost when it comes to our gardens. In the past week, my ligularia — which I was certain was toast — has sprouted several green waxy leaves, and they’re getting bigger each day. The fig tree in my backyard has new leaves sprouting all the way to the tips of every branch.
Emails from readers are pouring in, though, with questions about all sorts of plants. Texas A&M University AgriLife extension agents Brandi Keller and Paul Winski are answering them as fast as they can.
Q: Our miniature bottlebrush plants were damaged in the freeze. They’re about 18 inches tall and well-established. One of them had a split in the trunk, so we dug it up, but the other bottlebrush shrubs don’t have splits. Do you think they will survive, and how should we care for them now?
A: Bottlebrushes (Callistemon) are one of the many tropicals that are not cold hardy,
Keller said. There may be loss of these plants in our area, especially with smaller shrubs, but we need to go back to the mantra: Wait and see. By midspring, we should know. Most bottlebrush shrubs are brown when the branches are scratched, but there is still some potential for the tree to come back lower on the trunk. In 2018, a more than 20-foot bottlebrush tree completely browned but then came back later that year. That sort of rebound from this freeze isn’t expected, but it is not out of the question. For now, cut this plant closer to the ground and wait. If you see a split in the bark, then it is dead.
Q: I pruned my 10-year-old pittosporums just 10 days before the winter storm. I scratched the bark high in the limbs and they seem to be alive. Is there anything I can do to help them recover?
A:
By pruning your pittosporums before the freeze, it opened them up to being more susceptible to freeze damage through unhealed cuts, Keller said. There are all forms of pittosporums post-freeze: some with just a touch of browning on healthy-looking leaves to shrubs, such as yours, that have a lot of browning and leaf loss. For the most part, pittosporums should pop back, but the extent of damage to unhealthy, weaker, or pruned plants is yet to be seen. You can leave them alone and wait for new growth, or prune off the brown parts and wait.
Q: My Indian hawthorn bushes had buds before the freeze and, of course, they’re badly damaged now. Should
we cut them way down now?
A: Indian hawthorns may not rebound, but as with everything else, just wait and see, Keller said. You could prune sections of one branch down to see if there is any green near ground level. If there is green in the stem, then wait a few weeks to see if new growth emerges. If it does, prune everything above it.
Q: My bamboo has dropped all of its leaves. Is there any chance the stalks will produce more leaves or should we cut it all back and hope for new shoots to come from the roots?
A:
Bamboo are members of the grass family and should rebound as we continue the spring warmup, Winski said. Allow the plant to recover over the next few weeks. You should see new growth emerge from the base of the plant, and some canes will recover with new foliage. Those that do not can be thinned and removed over time.
Q: How do I know if my sago palm made it through the freeze?
A:
Sago palms, or cycads (as they are not true palms), have taken a beating from the freeze, Winski said. There is a lot of tan and brown foliage, and only time will tell if the plant survives. The growing point, or
terminal bud, is semiprotected on the plant and is located inside the top end of the trunk. If the plant survives, the new growth will emerge from this point. If that core is soft and mushy, it may be dead. For now, just trim the dead fronds. It may take a couple months to see if any new growth emerges from
the core.
Q: Our star jasmine was covered in snow and the leaves are brown but have not fallen off. Do you think they’re dead? What should we do?
A:
Star jasmine/Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) is an woody evergreen vine that blooms in the spring and provides a sweet fragrance to any landscape, Winski said. They are not very hardy and, as you mentioned in your question, have turned brown and defoliated. There is a good chance that this plant will return from its root system, since the ground did not freeze. If any of the stems have green wood under the bark after you scratch it, cut the stem back to the transition point from dead to green wood. Give the plant some time to see if new growth appears from the base of the plant.