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Indian hawthorn texas freeze12/28/2023 ![]() ![]() Continue being patient and do not use the foliage of a tree as a barometer for its health. This is a normal transition for Live Oaks.īrown leaves are a common site for Live Oak owners. When this happens, you can expect copious leaf drop from Live Oaks as the new leaves emerge and push off the old-damaged foliage. Many Live Oaks will put out a new set of leaves this Spring. The browning or loss of foliage should not be a determining factor in deciding if a tree is dead or suffering. Live Oaks- Many have brown leaves and/or leaves that have shed. Live Oaks, Magnolias, and Hollies- Not expecting severe injury or high mortality rates.Ī Magnolia with freeze damage from the February 2021 weather event. Palm trees are not cold hardy plants and most varieties will suffer a tremendous loss of their fronds with many not surviving. They may survive if you were able to successfully manipulate their micro-climate. Since Palm trees are not native to North Texas, it is risky to depend on them as a staple in your landscape. If the meristematic points where new leaves and roots develop are not damaged, the Palm may survive. At the minimum, expect the loss of most fronds on Palms. Palms, Pittosporum, and Lorapetalum- Expect severe injury and high mortality rates. The following are the answers to several specific questions people posed: I recommend keeping an eye on freeze-damaged and injured trees at least for a year as they will be more vulnerable to insects and possibly some diseases. We will continue to see some tree mortality, especially for trees that were already stressed before the freeze but for those that wondered if the age of their tree would influence how it is affected, it should not. We should also see the positive feedback from trees by then, however, lingering effects may continue to present themselves as the growing season progresses. I expect the full extent of the damage and mortality of some plants will not be known until May when Spring brings new hope. This kind of preparation requires foresight and resolve to accomplish but it can make a difference in a plant’s survival. Good soil moisture levels (reduces freeze damage and injury on plants), a layer of mulch (insulates plants and tree roots), plant covers (protect sensitive plants), lightbulbs, heat lamps, kerosene heaters, and smudge pots (keep plants warm) also helped prepare plants and trees for the extreme weather. In many cases, people better prepared their plants for freezing temperatures. This year, I found folks mitigated local micro-climates better, an important factor to a plant’s survival. Snow may have been a saving grace for survival and the severity of injury to trees and plants. This year, the snow accumulation acted as an insulator which helped to moderate the temperatures that roots were subjected to. ![]() This caused greater freeze damage to plants and trees. For example, in 1983, the temperature dropped at a quicker descent to sub-freezing and the duration of intense cold was longer. I hope the differences in the freeze this year versus 1983 were significant enough to lower the mortality rate and the severity of injury to plants and trees. There are a number of new species planted in North Central Texas and since many were introduced after 1983, little is known about their cold hardiness. This particular species is best suited to well-drained soil because of this potential threat.In 2021, snow accumulation may have helped to insulate plants from the extremely cold temperatures.Īs one of the few certified arborists whose career spans the thirty-eight years between the 1983 and the 2021 cold-weather events, I’ve been asked to answer a few questions about what effects to anticipate on trees and plants from the extreme cold. Planting Indian hawthorn in areas where water accumulates in the soil will encourage the growth of the disease. It is most likely to be a problem when temperatures are between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the plant's leaves have been wet for an extended period of time, especially in the 12- to 24-hour range. The infected leaves of other plants spread the disease during wet weather. These spots often grow together to spread the infection to larger areas of the plant. This disease will generally only cause cosmetic damage to the plant, but severe infections can cause the hawthorn's leaves to fall off, making the shrub prone to future infections, and vulnerable to damage from the cold and the infestation of insects.Įntomosporium leaf spot can be recognized by the presence of maroon-colored splotches on the leaves. One of the biggest problems with Indian hawthorn is its common susceptibility to entomosporium leaf spot disease. ![]()
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