Freeze-damaged Japanese Maple

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sophiegirl06 Shawnee Mission, KS(Zone 5a) Jun 10, 2007

I live in Kansas (Zone 5).

My lovely Japanese Maple suffered severe damage from a killer frost (several nights of below 20 degree temperatures) in mid April. It had just leafed out, so all the leaves withered and eventually fell off the tree. Since that time, the lower 2/3 of the branches have fully leafed out again (there are even leaves coming out of the trunk of the tree!), but the top branches are bare. My oak trees and redbuds also suffered damage, but all have fully leafed out.

Will the upper branches leaf out this summer? Barring unforseen develeopments (like another severe mid-April frost), is it likely to leaf out as usual next spring? Do those top branches need to be pruned?

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Hibiscus Lima, OH(Zone 5a) Jun 11, 2007

I pruned all the dead branches of mine after they were frosted, they never did get anything on them. Rest of bush has leafed out beautifully,

My Magnolia did the same, all dead after frost, new leaves came out at bottom.

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Marianinark Compton, AR(Zone 6a) Jun 12, 2007

I have had the same experience with my red-leafed japanese maple. I finally cut all of the top off, back to small lower branches with new leaves. It is a sad looking specimen now. It tried to put on some new leaves higher up, but they soon died. This is the main tree that the local county agents said may not survive.
All of the top branches were totally killed!

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daylily_lady Clinton, MO Jun 12, 2007

We had the same thing as you Sophiegirl06. We just "topped" the trees(had two of them), cutting off the branches where there was no regrowth and seemed dead. One is coming out fast and beautifully, the other one is getting some new leaves, but it is pretty slow. The slower one is a pretty good size Japanese Maple and was always needing pruned and cut back because of it's fast growth. The one that is now leafing out fast and furious was a much smaller tree and didn't seem to grow as fast. Go figure! As new leaves appear on both trees on branches and the trunk where I do not want them, I just run my hand down the branch or trunk and swipe them off. That should put energy in the other leaves on the branches where we do want them nice and thick and happy!

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gabnxe Columbia, MO Jun 18, 2007

On the magnolia, did you trim it? Mine has been doing the same - it looks terrible. I think I lost my 3 little gem in the frost.

I don't know if the magnolias should be cut way back or not.

thanks.

PT

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