Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Brug hello, 0 by bammie

bammie wrote:
Aunt B and mpabbott1, thanks for the replies. I didn't see any pictures on that thread that look like my plant. I'll put a picture that I took this morning and maybe someone can give me some clues. All the rest of my brugs are doing fine. I have an abundance of leaves. Some of the pictures I've seen don't have lots of leaves toward the bottom of the plant. Are they picked off, fall off, are is it because they are left in the ground from year to year.
I have been cutting them to the ground, mulching heavily and letting them grow back each year. I've never had a problem with that. If I leave the whole plant sticking out of the ground, the barks get mushy and soft in the freezing weather, and I fear that the roots will freeze and die. Any good advice?