Jenscapes Blog

Jeff Law’s 2009-2010 Houston Freeze Data for Xeriscape plants in Houston

Jen,

Aren’t you big into native plants?  How do they fair in a Houston freeze? Jon

Yes, I love the  indigenous plants.  I think all natives did well. During this time of the year they are not blooming so they just look dead.    Interesting you asked Jon,  I was just in the car with my mentor and friend Jeff Law, owner of Indian Summer Lodge and he pulled out a list he has been working on of ”good” plants and  damaged plants from the freeze.    Of course I told him I have to have it so I can share it.

Most everything that was established will come back says Houston Xeriscape expert, Jeff Law.  Remember, most of the hybrids, semi tropicals and tropicals have done well the past 20 years.  Gardeners just have to know which ones will winter, which ones to cover, and which palms not to plant in Houston. Mexican, queen, date, and sabal palms all see fine. foxtail Palms look dead, but we won’t know until it warms up.    Jeff says, he planted some foxtail palms this year, even though he knew they do not like it below freezing much, yet everyone has been planting them the past 5-8 years quite a bit.  Even Queen palms don’t like it this cold, but most seem fine so far.

 The following lists are plants that Jeff has observed at his famous Indian Summer Lodge in the Heights and in other Houston gardens. 

List of  “GOOD” Plants

• silverado sage
• aztec grass
• pampas grass
• gulf Coast Muhly grass
• maiden grass
• cosmopolitan grass
• horsetail
• artemsia
• roses
• blue agaves
• cassias
• loropetalums
• oleanders (standard)
• loquats
• palo verde retama
• nandinas
• privets
• dianella
• sparkler sedge
• holly fern
• polygala
• dianthus
• virgina sweetspire
• cast iron
• bottlebrush tree
• guava
• allium
• plum yews
• white potato vine
• sweet autumn clematis
• confederate jasmine vine
• fig vine
• salvia gregii
• wimbii ligustrum
• Carolina Jasmine
• cestrum
• azaleas
• Mexican Palm
• windmill palms
• Palmettos
• queen palm
• date palm
• sabel palm
• cordylines made it if they had tough leaves
• Podocarpus
• mounding junipers
• chinese evergreen wisteria
• orange tree
• rosemary
• variegated ginger (dwarf)
• Lousianna Iris
• Butterfly Iris
• Bamboo Muhly
• Lady Slipper
• Brunsfelsia
• Agave (most) 
• Cacti   (most)
• Europhobia Trigonia
• Senecio
• Yucca
• Tapioca
• alfonso Karr bamboo

 Normal winter flowering plants that DID NOT do well that usually prefer winter

• skyflower vine
• mexican flame vine
• firespike
• cassias
• Van Houti and Indigo spires
• Bolivian Pink Powderpuff
• Hamelia

Some plants that did not like this cold at all. 

• ixora                                                                                                                                          
• heliconias
• persian shields
• plumerias
• birds of paradise
• coleus
• little john bottlebrush- looks burned, but leaves still on
• asparagus fern
• sword fern
• fire spike
• Kolanches look like wilted spinach
• banana
• jatropha
• basil
• sedum
• echeverias
• oleander (dwarf)
• pentas
• variegated ginger (standard)
• Cestrum
• Sweet Memory Duranta
• Almond Verbena
• wandering jews
• succulents
• australian violets
• croton

These plants look dead, but stems still alive so we won’t know until it warms up.  Tropicals can go into shock, or die, but we need 40s-70s this winter to keep them alive now.  Any more deep hard freezing will not be good for anything but for the plants on the first list and of course the “normal apartments“ such as  boxwood, Indian hawthorn, photinias, pittosporum, ilex….

As for bamboo some did great, and some we have to see when it warms up.  There are cold hearty one that can take less than 20 degrees and our heat.  Some of the new types do not take the cold that are sold in commercial nurseries the past few years. 

 Jeff says, he has gardens grow all winter, just depends on the freezes light or heavy, long or short and what time of the winter we get them.  It also depends on where they are planted, along walls or sides of homes to block wind, in the sunlight or in the shade, or what part of Houston.  There are 100 miles north to south to Houston and several different mini zones. Please email me if you can add to the list!  

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