Freeze-Damaged Lakeview Jasmine: Checking for Survival

Assessing Cold Damage in Jasminum nitidum

After a hard freeze in zone 9b, your 2-year-old in-ground jasmine trees show no green when bark is scraped—even at the trunk base. This suggests the cambium layer is dead. However, some plants show green initially then brown weeks later as damaged tissue succumbs.

What to Do Now

• Wait 4-6 weeks: Don't dig them up yet. Warmer weather may reveal latent buds.
• Scratch test weekly: Check multiple spots, moving downward from branch tips.
• Prune only dead wood: Cut back to live tissue (green cambium) when certain.

If no green appears at the base after 6 weeks, the plants are likely dead. Jasmine often resprouts from roots if the crown survives, but prolonged sub-freezing temperatures can kill even the root system. Mulch heavily next winter for protection.