Frozen, Part 3

All good things must come to an end, especially when they are not in your hardiness zone.  This final installment documents some of the more miserable-looking plants after a week of subfreezing temps with lows reaching down to 10 degrees F (-12C).

Just melt already!!!

Once again, the survival scale:

1 = Dead

2 = Severely damaged and may never fully recover

3 = Severely damaged but will probably fully recover eventually

4 = Severely damaged but will probably fully recover in less than a year

5 = Moderate cosmetic (e.g. leaf) damage but no known structural damage

6 = Minor leaf/flower damage

7 = No damage

Melianthus major (Honey bush) = 4 (But it will quickly regrow from the roots in the spring)

Hebe x andersonii 'Variegata' = 1 or 2 (It's not good when leaves turn lighter or darker after a frost - this plant did both)

Lavatera × clementii 'Rosea' (Tree mallow) = 5 (Normally evergreen.  Oh well)

Acanthus mollis (Bear's breeches) = 4 (Maybe the seaweed look will catch on)

Francoa sonchifolia = 5 (Normally this is perfectly and unsuspectingly evergreen)

Rubus lineatus = 5 (The leaves are dead but the stems seem to be undamaged)

Stauntonia leucantha = 7

Bignonia capreolata 'Tangerine Beauty' = 7 (Still fully evergreen...the tag says it can be semi-evergreen & hardy to -10F)

Musa basjoo (Hardy banana) = 3 (They have been frozen back too far to reach their max height this year)

Holboellia coriacea 'Cathedral Gem' = 6 (Bronzed foliage, otherwise looks ok)

Ceanothus 'Tuxedo' = 5 (Larger leaves were dessicated but smaller leaves look ok)

Cordyline australias = 1 or 2 (Dead or mostly dead)

Citrus ichangensis x C. reticulata = 7 (Leaves curled a little during the frost, but now looks perfectly happy)

Daphne bhoula = 3 (Time will reaveal how badly damaged it is)

And finally...

Pachyphytum hookeri = ??

So far this pachyphytum is still alive - much to the amazement of the neighbors walking by (and me).  It is in full sun, protected from rain overhead by a tree, and is in very well-draining soil.  I was never really expecting it to survive the entire winter, but if it looks this good after the frost we just had, I'm beginning to think it stands a chance!

Winter Bloomers

As spring slowly approaches, many winter-blooming plants are still going strong.  Daphne bhoula has been in bloom for the past month.  Like many winter-blooming plants, it has a very intense fragrance.

This yellow Witch Hazel (Hamamelis intermedia) is currently in peak-bloom while the orange variety on the other side of the garden has dropped most of its petals.

  

After three years of seeing the buds freeze off, Camellia sasanqua 'Apple Blossom' has finally burst into bloom.  The flowers don't look anything like apple blossoms...they're much bigger!!

A few naturalized Cyclamen coum seedlings.

Mahonia x media 'Charity' is also blooming right now.  I've seen a few hummingbirds visit this one.  Unfortunately, they're always off to the next plant by the time I get my camera out.

And finally, if you're going to grow one plant in February, it should be a hellebore.  This genus keeps getting better every year thanks to the many Hellebore breeders out there.  Shown are Helleborus orientalis & Helleborus niger.