How Winter Cold Affects Garden Plants: Damage and Recovery

Severe cold snaps can cause dramatic damage to landscape plants. A Carolina jessamine vine appeared to have "exploded" at its base after a mid-January freeze—frozen sap literally blew the bark off. Only one of three vines survived. Similar damage occurs on other plants when warm winter days trigger sap flow, followed by a sudden plunge in temperature.

Gardenia Leaf Discoloration

Cold weather often turns gardenia leaves yellow or brown. The good news: gardenias bloom on new growth from April and May. Simply pluck off damaged leaves; the resulting fresh growth will produce fragrant flowers in June.

Early Tomato Planting Pitfalls

Warm spells in March tempt gardeners to plant tomatoes early, but cool soil temperatures stall growth. Tomatoes planted after mid-April often catch up and fruit at the same time as earlier plantings. For heat-loving crops, soil warmth matters more than calendar date.

Aztec Grass: Annual, Not Perennial, in Atlanta

Aztec grass (Ophiopogon jaburan) is hardy only to 20°F. Despite its attractive variegated foliage, it rarely survives Atlanta winters. Treat it as an annual; for a perennial groundcover, choose variegated liriope (Liriope muscari 'Variegata').

Centipedegrass Winter Injury

Dead patches in centipede lawns often stem from cold injury exacerbated by high mowing. Keep centipede, zoysia, and bermuda lawns mowed at 1.5 inches or lower to reduce winter damage.

Trim away any cold-damaged foliage and enjoy the spring bloom season.