Can This Plant Be Saved?

Can This Plant Be Saved?

Responding To Winter Damage 2023

Our customers are asking: Can this rose bush be saved? Will my lavender and butterfly bush come back? Should I prune my Hydrangeas now, and will they flower this summer? Here are the answers to those questions, and how to know if it’s time to save a plant or say goodbye.

Why did so many plants die last winter?

In December of 2022 and January of this year, the temperatures were consistently above normal. We had misty, gray weather but only a dusting of snow, and most days were above freezing. But on February 4th, the temperature took a hard dive to 0° Fahrenheit or below. Those who live closest to the ocean on the south side of the Cape were largely spared the below zero temps, but no matter where you live, the sudden plunge was hard on many plants. We typically have such winter conditions every 7 to 9 years on Cape Cod, and the plants that usually suffer or die as a result are butterfly bush, roses, heath/heather, lavender and crape myrtle. Such cold snaps may not kill our blue hydrangeas, but they zap the buds so that these shrubs won’t flower well for the following summer.

Will my rose bush recover?

By early May you should see leaves growing on the canes of roses that made it through the winter. If you only see bare stems, and most of them are black or brown, that plant is probably dead. Sometimes you’ll see some new leaves and shoots coming from the base of a rose bush, but on most roses this growth is coming from below a graft. Most roses are grown on a hardier root-stock, but those roots will produce different size and colors of flowers; often the growth from the root stock makes long canes with red flowers. The photos below show what roses look like if they are dead, and the growth from below the graft.

This rose has no signs of life in the beginning of May. This is a plant that should be dug out and a new rose planted in this location. The only green coming to the right of the main plant is produced off of the roots, and will be different from the rose that grew in this location for several years.
You can clearly see the graft point on this plant, but in some gardens that has been placed below the soil line so it’s not visible. Grafts are often a bit lumpy, and are on top of roots that extend below. The only green coming along on this rose is growing from below the graft. This is a rose that also needs to be replaced in 2023.

Should I cut my lavender down, and will it come back this summer?

Lavender should be showing signs of newer, green growth by this point. If your plant is still gray and the leaves shriveled, it’s most likely gone. You can wait until later in May to make the call about replacement, but here are some photos to guide you in that decision.

Here is how a healthy lavender looks on May 1st of 2023. You can see that most of the tips of the branches have newer, greener leaves forming. This is a plant that will require only a little touch-up pruning in mid-May to remove the few stems that are dead.
The only green growth on this Phenomenal lavender is at the end of a few stems that were right over the stone step. The rest of this plant has dried, gray leaves and stems, and in those areas the plant won’t put out new growth. Some might be tempted to save such a plant because it does have a bit of life in it. But frankly, it’s going to be pretty ugly from now on. Lavenders tend not to push out new growth from the older stems: see the photo below. Since this garden is at the front of the house, in a prime location, it will be replaced asap. It’s time to start anew with a fresh lavender.
Older lavender plants get thick, woody stems. If cut back into this area, they seldom come back with new vigorous growth. It’s time to say goodby to this plant. Note that lavender do best when planted next to heat-retaining and reflecting materials. Place lavenders in full sun next to stone walkways, patios or gravel for their best growth and survival.

I don’t see any growth on my butterfly bush. Is it gone?

If you see no small, grayish foliage on your Buddleia right now, it’s most likely dead. Butterfly bush typically break dormancy in late-March or early April. If there is no sign of that now, in May, it’s time to dig that plant up and replace it, either with another butterfly bush or something else.

This is how a butterfly bush typically looks by the middle of April. You should be seeing several gray-green, new leaves at this point. If you don’t, it’s time to plant a new Buddleia or something else in that location.

Will my blue Hydrangeas live? Will they flower?

Most of the mophead and lacecap hydrangeas on the Cape are still alive, but they won’t bloom well in the summer of 2023. Here are some photos that will guide you in your cleanup and pruning.

This is how a Hydrangea typically looks after a winter when the temperatures fall into the single digits and below. There is new growth from the base, but all the flower buds that were formed last summer have been killed. If this is an Endless Summer, Penny Mac, All Summer Beauty or one of the other varieties that make some flowers on new stems, it will produce a few blooms in the fall.
This is how buds that were formed last summer look if they’ve made it through the winter. If you see any of these on the tan canes do not prune them off! That growth will produce flowers this summer.
Here is how some of your Hydrangeas might look in early May after a cold winter. Most of the canes are bare, and can be removed, but there are some near the base of the plant that have growth that has survived the cold. So there is hope that this plant will have at least a few flowers this summer.
It’s easiest to remove the dead canes on larger Hydrangea shrubs with by-pass lopers. These allow you to cut the canes all the way down without bending over. Before cutting any stem, look at it closely to see if there are any leaves emerging on at any point. Leave those, because that’s your only hope of flowers.
Most of the top of this Hydrangea died back, but there is some growth near the base of some stems.
This is how a Hydrangea with many winter-killed stems will look after you clean it up. Note that these plants will be just as tall and wide by July as they were last year. This type of cleanup does NOT make them shorter or smaller.
Be careful as you prune…sometimes there are small, random buds on a stem that are hard to spot. When I pruned one of my plants, I inadvertently cut off a stem that had a living bud on it. This happens to everyone…don’t stress about it.

Can I move a Hydrangea that had gotten too large?

Yes, and this is a great year to transplant any too-big mophead or lacecap hydrangea, since they won’t flower well anyway. Dig the plant up in early May and move it to a location where it can grow as large as its genetics dictate. You can divide the clump into two or three pieces if you want, making more of the same plant. After planting, water them in well and top-dress around the plant first with a light application of Bio-tone, then with an inch of compost that goes well beyond the dripline, and finally with an inch of mulch to keep the weeds down and the moisture in the soil.

Will all types of Hydrangea be without flowers this summer?

The panicle (Hydrangea paniculata) and smooth (Hydrangea arborescens) Hydrangeas are hardier and always flower on new growth. They will bloom as they normally do. You should be seeing signs of new leaves on the stems of the smooth Hydrangeas now, and panicle type will be breaking dormancy soon.

The panicle and smooth Hydrangea varieties are more cold-hardy, and will be back with vigor and flowers this summer.

How do I decide if a damaged plant is worth saving? Will fertilizer help?

There are several things to consider when you make the call about removing a damaged plant or waiting to see if it recovers. First, is this a sentimental plant? Is it a rose that you got from your grandmother, or a plant that was given to you by a dear friend? We tend to give plants that are associated with loved ones a longer time to come back. If you have such a plant, give it a very light application of Plant-tone, and spread an inch of compost around it to beef up the soil. Water the plant deeply once a week through the summer, especially if the weather is hot and dry.

Plants in prime locations that are severely damaged may need a quick replacement. When a damaged plant is in the front of our homes, or next to a door we use frequently, it’s probably a good idea to dig it out and install something new in that spot.

Although a light application of an organic fertilizer isn’t going to hurt, that’s not the answer to severe winter damage. Compost or composted manure will help keep the soil around a damaged plant healthy, so spreading an inch on the surface of the ground is never a bad idea. A deep watering once a week over the summer, making sure to get the entire area around a plant wet, will also help with recovery.

The loss of some plants is an opportunity.

Since plants are living things, we have to expect that sometimes they die. Whether a plant goes from a particularly drastic cold snap, a disease, old age, or some other cause, view the loss as an opportunity to plant something new. There are so many exciting, recently introduced varieties that it can fun to choose new shrubs, trees or perennials for your yard and garden. Enjoy!

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10 Comments

  1. Donna Fitzmaurice on May 4, 2023 at 6:56 am

    I had a rose (8 yrs) that had ‘canker’ that also didn’t survive from cold. I have removed it, but I was told if a rose bush was diseased all the soil had to be removed before another rose could be planted in that spot. True/False? What do I do with the soil?

  2. Gabrielle Kelly on May 4, 2023 at 7:09 am

    Thank you so much for all the wonderful news and the pictures were plus. My whole front yard is a garden and I had a lot of loss this past winter. I must have lost at least 10-12 lavender plants. I have several butterflies bushes and only 1 seems to have any green at the bottom which is a shame. My hydrangeas took a big hit as well. My lace cap seems to be doing okay but I’m concerned about my pinky winkies which I have formed into small trees and cut back pretty drastically but I do see a few little buds so I am hopeful….I do appreciate all the information! Many thanks😊

  3. Cal Mutti on May 4, 2023 at 7:28 am

    Always very helpful information and advice. Thanks for holding your hand as we walk through yet another “interesting opportunity“ season.
    Cal

  4. Betsy Manning on May 4, 2023 at 10:53 am

    Hi CL…I have a large patch of Solomans Seal that is not growing. This has never failed me. What’s up. I live on the Northside near the bay. Yes, we did experience the below 0 temps and winds.
    Would that kill off Solomans Seal? The ground did not freeze.

    • CLFornari on May 15, 2023 at 11:52 am

      It’s more likely that your Soloman’s Seal was done in by the drought last summer, not by the winter. You’re right that the ground didn’t freeze much deeper than an inch last winter.

  5. Sue Davy on May 4, 2023 at 10:57 am

    How do I know if my heath is dead. I have 12 bushes around my patio. Some look better than others. Will cutting back help?

    • CLFornari on May 15, 2023 at 11:51 am

      The ones that are dried and brown are gone – you can decide about others after you prune them. Remove all dead areas and see if you can live with how they look after that. Sometimes you can bury a random stem and it will root…but many people don’t want to wait 4 years or more for the plant to look good again.

  6. Maureen Grandmont on May 4, 2023 at 11:30 am

    This is the most thorough and excellent excellent explanation of what’s going on in my garden this year. The pictures were a terrific help as was the narrative. This article should be written in the Cape Cod Times and shouted from the sandy dunes of Sandy Neck. I can’t thank you enough. I was reluctant to pull out my 11-year-old roses, but now you’ve give me the information I need to do so. Thank you so much for your knowledge.

  7. Jon T on May 23, 2023 at 5:33 pm

    Think the drought killed my spring planting 2021 dwarf Alberta spruces? Or the cold snap?

    • CLFornari on May 26, 2023 at 11:14 am

      It was most likely the drought…Dwarf Alberta spruce are pretty cold-tolerant.

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