Our winters vary in severity from year to year. This year, in mid-February, we got a dose of freezing temperatures for several days. The entire state of Louisiana got ice, sleet, and snow. With temperatures reaching as low as 20, 15, or even lower, covering plants, despite our valiant efforts, could not prevent damage to our plants. Undoubtedly, we all lost something during the recent hard freezes.

The roots of most hardy plants will be okay.  Luckily, the soil was wet from recent rains, protecting against freezing soil temperatures. Even though many plants froze up top, they are still alive beneath the soil, and plants will return from their roots-rest assured.

No doubt, tender tropical plants melted like the wicked witch of the west from Oz. Under an extended hard freeze like the ones we just experienced, you may see plant stems splitting and peeling. I hate to say it, but if you see this, you’re likely burying that plant for the second time, and there will be no resurrection.

Many tropical plants turned to mush and are now brown. If you’re fortunate enough that your tropical plants survived, now that the temperatures are warming up, you can safely remove the dead foliage and add a nice thick layer of mulch around the plant’s crown and the rest of the surrounding area.