Update on plants that froze

After the February deep freeze we are still looking to see what survived. This is the normal time for the Escarpment Oaks (our native Central Texas Oaks) to drop their leaves. I am in hopes that soon we will see the new leaves appear and the Oaks will have survived the zero F degree freeze.

It is interesting to see which adaptive plants will make it through the extreme cold. I brought several plants from Ohio to Texas and most of them failed to pass the Texas heat test. For example, I thought Giant Allium might survive because in Texas we have other allium that do survive the heat such as Wild Garlic (Allium canadense), and Drummond’s Onion (Allium drummondii), but the Giant Allium did not make it through the Texas summer.

Several plants from Ohio did make it through the Texas summer. Hyacinths, Grape Hyacinths, Iris, Day lilies, Obedient Plant, Lenten Rose (Helleborus), and Yarrow all survive hot dry weather and are perennials which means they come back every year. Because they also grew in Northern Ohio it is not surprising that they are all currently doing well in my yard after our February freeze. These plants are truly adapted. The Hyacinths are even blooming now.

Many native plants are showing that they can survive the super hard freeze. This week I started seeing wind flowers (Anemone heterophylla) in the grass blooming.

These 3 to 4 inch high perennial plants have aster-like flowers that come in white, pink, dark blue and lavender. Colored petal-like sepals make up the flowers: there are no petals. In addition to my fenced backyard, I also found them in the deer accessible lots. After blooming they form fluffy seeds that are blown away by the wind. Hence the name “windflower.” Enjoy our lovely spring.

Written by Jackie Mattice, Hays County Master Naturalist