It’s Not All Bad News for Plants Post-Winter Storm, Says Lawns of Dallas

This year has been a rough one for lawns and landscaping. The Valentine’s Week winter storm — a storm that ended up causing $195 billion in damage — the torrential rains in May, and fluctuating temps in June have taken a toll on North Texas landscaping.

Now in July, there’s some good news: Many plant varieties that looked bleak in February now seem to have turned the corner.

“Some plants did surprisingly well after the storm,” says Ryan Burrow of Lawns of Dallas.

Among the plant varieties that are rebounding after the turbulent winter and wet spring:

• Boxwoods (Buxus japonica) – Though initial walkthroughs in February revealed losses, the ones that did survive are healthy now with new green growth.
• Roses – Burrow says roses have recovered well and some varieties of roses are having an above average bloom year.
• Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana) – While there was concern about the state of Live Oaks in winter, healthy trees are budding across the Metroplex
• Texas Redbud (Cercis canadensis) – New leaves are sprouting and opening
• Crape Myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) – Recovering and blooming
• Hydrangeas – Seem to have recovered well
• Ground covers like Monkey Grass (Ophiopogon and Liriope) and Asian Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) – Hardy and thriving

When we caught up with Burrow back in February, he told us what kind of damage their crews saw during post-storm walk-throughs. As expected, the Dallas landscaping company saw extensive losses in flowering shrubs with soft leaves, tropical plants, and succulents.

The most extensive losses came in tropical plants that have a high critical temperature point, the temperature at which physiological frost or freeze damage occurs. That means all varieties of tropical Palm Trees took sustained hits from the severe cold and ice. Chinese Windmill Palms are slightly more winter-hardy plants, but still likely sustained damage if it was exposed on the north or northwest side of a home.

The plants they’ve seen struggle the most include:

• All varieties of Palm Trees including Sago, Mexican Fan, Blue Pindo, and Chinese Windmill
• Texas Privet (Ligustrum japonicum)
• Variegated Pittosporum (Pittosporum Variegata)
• Fringe Flower (Loropetalum chinensis)
• Indian Hawthorne (Rhapiolepis indica)
• Star or Confederate Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
• Azaleas (Rhododendrons)
• False Aralia (Aralia japonica)
• Creeping Fig Vine (Ficus pumila)
• Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)

As you’ll recall, Burrow gave us a helpful plant scratch test to help determine if the plant’s still alive in there. Start near the tip of a branch or stem and use your fingernail to remove a small section of the stem’s bark-like surface.

If it’s bright green, it’s alive. If it’s dull green, it’s alive but in poor health. If it’s brown, black, or gray, that branch is dead, but try testing other branches to see if the rest of the plant is alive.

Lawns of Dallas has been slammed lately fielding requests for plant replacements. “If you’ve waited to see what was going to come back, now is a good time to have us meet with you and assess the damages,” Burrow says.

Burrow’s advice for less than stellar-looking plants? “Be patient.”

A statewide plant shortage has driven up prices 30 to 35 percent and some perennial favorites aren’t available. “Be willing to think about a substitution. For example, Pittosporum won’t likely be available until next spring. Instead, I’d suggest Osmanthus Goshiki, which have a similar variegated leaf and has similar sun/shade requirements.”

Burrow says they’ve adjusted their annual and perennial recommendations for plants that handle extreme cold much better.

Some of their current recommendations:

• Pentas
• Alyssum
• Celosia
• Marigolds
• Begonias
• Coleus
• Blue Daze
• Impatiens
• Portulaca
• Vinca
• Scaevola
• Potato Vine
• Caladiums
• Lantana

If your lawn needs help, give the landscaping experts Lawns of Dallas a call at 214-357-6522 or visit LawnsofDallas.com to request a consultation.