Northerner, I'm in Oklahoma, and my Baptistas are pretty late getting started. They are coming up now, stalks that look rather like asparagus, one has a flower bud. I moved them year before last, and they do not like being moved, so went black & dormant - so I was happy they came back at all, then they were completely eaten by caterpillars, so once again, I'm happy they survived. I did nothing to protect them for winter, which got pretty cold this year.

If it gives you a clue timing-wise, I planted tomatoes today, although I usually wait until the 15th.

Thank you for the timing info, Betty. If yours are now coming up in Zone 7 USA, it's probably too early for me to expect any visible activity from mine (Zone 5A Canada). You planted tomatoes today, and I started tomatoes under lights today, so I will give them a bit more time and use that as a benchmark. Enjoy your tomatoes!!