Plant Damage in Southwest New Mexico
Mexican fan palms (Washingtonia Robusta) look sad and most will have to be cut down. However, most California fan palms are showing signs of life. The Mediterranean Palms (Chamaerops humilis) also looks bad but a few seem to have weathered the freeze. Inspect your palm tree closely for signs of life. Small green fronds at the very top core are indications of plant life. Good replacements are the Spanish Bayonet or Sword. These are actually in the Yucca family and will not grow as a large palm tree but they are much more tolerant of cold weather.
Most Deciduous trees that go dormant throughout the winter months look like they will survive. This includes the Ash, Oak and Willow Trees. The Magnolia tree surprised me with their cold tolerance. Most took a beating but they should generate new growth once the night time temperatures stay consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit during the night time.
Under normal conditions Pampas Grass will always comes back without problems however this year you should trim back considerably.
Most other ornamental grasses should also come back including the Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum) and the Regal Mist (Muhlenbergia capillaries). You’ll have better success by cutting them down during late fall or early winter.
The Afghan Pine (Pinus eldarica) tree also called the Mondale and Desert Pine is a very cold hardy pine. However, some of these pines do not look good. This is probably due to the tree already having some type of problem as in: Borers, Mites, or growing under power lines. An unhealthy tree is much more vulnerable to minus degree weather than a healthy one.
The Palo Verde Trees (Parkinsonia aculeate) are cold hardy to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit…and most look like dead wood at best. Some folks have reported seeing some life coming from the very bottom of the root system. It’s probably best to cut down and start over or just let those “little suckers” come out and start over? It’s your call. Good replacements are the Honey and Velvet Mesquites.
Oleanders (Nerium) look the worse. Probably thousands will have to be cut back all the way to the bottom. It is a sad situation as folks who are new to the area will not be able to see those bright red, pink and white blooms through out the summer months. Yes…cut them down all the way to ground level. Most will re-generate new growth from the root system. Or completely remove and start over with new ones or plant something much hardier. Good replacements are Muskogee Crape Myrtles their purple blooms will last through out the summer months. The Wax leaf privets are another good choice but their white blooms are not very showy and only appear in spring.
Roses, Butterfly BUshes and Other Colorful Plants that have cold Damage
Roses: Most look like they will re-generate new growth but some will have to be replaced or severely cut back. It all depends on the variety where they were placed and how well they were taken care of during the previous seasons.
Butterfly Bushes all look like they will recover nicely. Trim them back for more blooms during the late spring season.
Red Tip Photinia’s look healthy but some of the foliage looks somewhat frazzled by the minus degree weather. I would just slightly trim off the bad looking leaves.
Mock Orange or Pittosporum (Philadelphus lewisi). Most could not take the freezing minus degree weather. Some have a little growth from the bottom. Trimming them back now will give them new growth and life or take them out and start over.
Native Plants that look bad after February Freeze
Apache Plume as hardy and easy to care for here in the Southwest it looks bad but this year is an exception. I would cut them down to the ground. But if you do it will take several years before they start to grow into a decent size.
Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) have beautiful big red and orange blooms but no until early summer. Hopefully you cut them down to the ground before the February freeze…if so there is a good chance they will start to come out of dormancy in late spring, possibly as late as early July.
Texas Sages (Lecuophyllums): Most look like they will bounce back but many will have to be trimmed back.
Sages (Salvia Officinalis) Most should come back. I’ve seen many sprouting out and looking very healthy. Some trimming will be required for better summer time results.
Virburnums: There are hundreds Virburnum varities but the most common around the southwest are the Spring Bouquet Laurustinus. Most of these plants are pretty much dead. Some folks have reported seeing some green growth at the root system. I would take them out and start over…but It is your landscape and your decision.
Euonymus Shrubs (Celastraceae family): These evergreen shrubs in the southwest took a big hit, and they are starting to see signs of new growth. However, most need to be severely cut back.
Prickly Pear Cactus (Optunia) many cactuses have taken a big hit and removing dead or dying plants is your best course. This will help the plant generate new fronds or sometimes called nopales or nopalitos.
Yellow and Orange Bells (Tecoma Stans): Most of these plants will have to be cut back severely. You should see some new growth at the very bottom.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): Should be cut back down to the roots. You might get new shoots for a new plant. Or dig them out and start over.
Rabbitbush (Chrysothamnus naueosus): Sometimes called Chamisa. These plants had no problem with the February freeze. If yours look bad it’s probably another cause…usually too much water or insect infestation.
Vitex or Chaste tree is starting to show signs of life. They too need to be trimmed back. The new growth will grow much quicker once you have done this.
Mexican Elders (Sambucus Mexicana): These trees are landscaped through out the Southwest. They look bad but are starting to slowly come out of it. You should trim back old or dead limbs. Remove any suckers coming from the bottom of the tree. This will give new energy towards the middle of the tree.
Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa): Very drought tolerant native plant but the cold freeze has killed most of them. My suggestion…pull them out and start over. A good replacement would be Texas Sages or Rabbit Bush.
Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) seem to have taken some damage. Many look ok but have some freeze burn towards the top. These evergreen trees can grow up to 100ft. tall. You could top them off at the point of damage. They will have a “Flat Top” appearance. Be sure to hire a professional tree trimmer.
Other types of Cypresses had no problems with the cold weather.
I will be posting photos of what these plants look like months after the freeze.
Thanks Paul Guzman
http://www.guzmansgreenhouse.com
MAIN QUESTION: We have a chitalpa tree that we bought from you several years ago. It is a large, beautifully shaped and healthy tree. It survived the winter, but the leaves all came out half size and though it is blossoming sparsely, the leaves are not getting any larger. There was considerable die back evenly all over the tree, and the leaves, though small, are evenly dispersed all over the canopy/ I am much concerned about its long term survival since I lost another tree, an Elder, two years ago, to this same reaction to stress. I could not restore it. I called your store and talked to a woman there and she said to keep the root area well watered and fertilized, making sure there was iron in the fertilizer. This I was already doing and have continued to do. (Only fertilized once, about a month ago.) Is there anything else I can do. Since the bark on this species of tree tends to split easily, especially with too much water, I was concerned about overwatering. She said with sandy soil that probably was not a concern. Any further advice you can offer will be appreciated. Amelia
More info on Mexican Elders here Mexican Elder Care
Larry I too would wait until we start experiencing hotter weather. I suspect the Acacia tree might see some life from the root system. It is best to remove any dead limbs or branches. You might have to cut the tree down completely so the new roots can grow quicker. Or…remove entirely and plant a new one? It’s your choice.
Paul
Also we have an Arizona Ash which has had lots of suckers but the top has nothing. Any advice.
Thank you
A good replacement tree would be the Chinese Pistache…it’s drought tolerant, grows fast and can take temperatures down to -10. BTW…it also has a bright red color during the fall season.
Paul
Diana. Yes the new growth will eventually become a new tree or bush. It depends on how YOU prune it back. Trimming neew new suckers at the bottom will eventually produce one new small trunk.