I wondered if anyone could tell me how their fringe flower (loropetalum) shrubs fared with the very hard freeze we just had. I hope yours look better than mine!
I frankly can't remember the variety I have.
Chinese fringe flower after the recent hard freeze.
I live a little south of you but we did have several days of hard freeze. I have a couple of those shrubs and they look pretty good. I didn't do anything to protect them.
Mine still look good too ... I think Direct sun is their worse enemy. I bought one when they first became popular and was very expensive. When I moved I placed it on the side of a shrub, not realizing the sun was coming from another direction so it did not come back the following spring. I have several around the back fence of my hosta garden and they do well but none are as elaborate as my first one.
bobyrd, I didn't protect mine either. Probably should have-- They were planted in the early fall 2009. I don't know if that was enough time to get well established, considering how severe the freeze was.
I'm glad to hear that both you and City_Sylvia had plants that are okay.
Thanks!
Mine were newly planted during a landscaping project so I was more worried than usual. A few end leaves were killed but the plants look okay for now. The proof will be in what they do in the spring.
Gardeners here in the Houston area are advised not to remove any dead-looking parts until spring. They protect the live parts of the plants from additional freeze damage later on. This is my first year here so I don't know if the advice is correct but that's what I am going to do. In Austin, we cut everything back to the ground after the first freeze.
Well I am going to wait until spring to cut mine back. It's hard to tell what's still alive until things start leafing out. Sometimes things you think are dead will start sprouting new leaves. Then is the time to cut off the parts that don't "green up".
abtrht and bobyrd, I've heard similar advice about not cutting anything back yet. It might stimulate new growth too early.
My shrubs have a "dried up" look.-- not good,-- but also not a case where you know immediately that the plant is Gone. I guess I'll watch and wait. There's nothing to lose by doing that.
I want to be extra cautious about the rest of this winter. It could still have some surprises in store for us -- but I'm so ready for Spring...
Many thanks,
NLaw
I am kind of backwards, but I have always divided my Hostas and did cutbacks in the fall, when things have already started looking ugly. Then in the spring I have the pleasure of seeing everything come up beautiful. My granddad always planted in the fall and harvested in the spring.
I did everything wrong and mine look great. I trimmed them back pretty hard a few days before the snow and prolonged hard freeze. I didn't cover anything, it was sink or swim on their own. They get almost full sun and have been in ground for about 3 or 4 years. They didn't get any damage at all. They are on the south side of the house in the back of a foundation planting bed. I'm sure your's will come back, even if they look scraggly now. They're pretty tough plants.
Crow
not changing the subject ... but
I just noticed how all the tropical plants are dead around town ... are they dead in your areas? Agaves, huge Palm and other tropical plants I cant name. I always admired the Compass Bank landscape in my area, it has huge Agave plants and other succulents and cactus type plants ... they are mush! Did we have that rough of a winter?
This message was edited Feb 5, 2010 6:42 PM
My Chinese fringe is actually trying to put out pink blooms.
That's what different from the earlier cultivar. my flowers were red and the leaves were larger.
City_Slyvia,
Around the first week of January we had a 20F year freeze event. We got down to 11F degrees in Central Texas at my orchard so I suspect that you got down below 10F in some areas.
By the way, my pink Fringe took 14F at my house with no problems.
This message was edited Feb 5, 2010 11:11 PM
I am in FW also NLaw and have a few of the C Fringe shrubs and they didn't drop all of their leaves and are now putting out some buds. However...we have another round of snow and freezing weather coming our way. They did fine last year but I don't remember having as a sever winter.
Now...I don't remember meeting you before, so let me invite you to the Round Up we have in the spring time. It is held at the Randol Mill Park in Arlington and I just booked the pavillion for the 5th of May (Sunday) we begin at noon with a pot luck meal. After that we swap plants and stories and then have a door prize drawing. It is great fun and you get to meet other DG members face to face. Watch the Texas Gardening Forum for the announcement and all the particulars.
Sheila
Sheila, thanks so much for the information (and the info about your fringe flower shrubs!). I wanted to come to the Round Up last year, but we had to go out of town. I would love to come this year.
Sunday, May 2nd?
Thanks again!
Some species of agave that I have had for 5 years are cleary dead. Others like the blue seem just fine. Same thing with my cacti, some look bad but alive others are piles of goo. It was a bad freeze and I think it lasted much longer than usual. As for the succulants and cactus, we had a lot of water which is really bad for them in the winter. My palms look dead but I think they will come back. For me its a lesson, protect marginally hardy plants.
C
BTW, what zone is Arlington? I thought I was between zone 7 and zone 8A but some list Fort Worth as 8B?
C
Well it is in the cross hairs for me on the SW side of FW. I looked at the temperatures for the zones and thought about the worst weather and how low the temps get. Hot weather I can compensate for with natives, but the lows really do a number on my tropical/non-natives.
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-sm1.html
This message was edited Feb 7, 2010 9:46 AM
Then I am in 8A. I guess I will just keep my fingers crossed this type of winter doesn't happen for another 20 years or so.
C
Amen to that!
Did you all know you can add your zone if you like to the preferences area? I realize it takes another line, but when you are asking questions or giving advise to others across the country it helps to keep perspective.
I found a picture of my first Fringe Flower and this picture dont do it justice. Sheila remember we bought this one from the old place? It was in the corner of fence behind the house. Planting it behind the shrub out front was not a good idea!
Sheila because of all the freezes we had, Hostas should be "Beautiful" come spring, I cant wait! I just went out this morning and sprayed my entire Hosta garden with Surflan. I rather use an expensive pre-emergent, than pay someone to come out and half way weed. I am going to do the front tomorrow, its a mess out there!
Did you say we are going to get another freeze tonight?
Looking forward to spring for sure. I don't remember the plants you had other than heuchera and loads of hosta pots!! That was a fun whirlwind move! LOL!