Yes, I would be flabbergasted too. They weren't silk, were they? I just saw a picture on another garden site where several leaves of a rex were definitely flattened (mush) from sitting on a cold windowsill.

Maybe those 3 rexes were just placed there. If you went back, would they still be there and would they still be looking good?

Two years ago I didn't get everything indoors before the first frosts came along (early Nov) and the large rhizos in the front yard had heavy damage to the leaves and even some of the rhizomes. The ones in the back yard had some minor damage to the leaves but fared a lot better because they were under trees.

Definitely not silk--I touched out of surprise. You are exactly right, I need to go back and see how they are faring. It just has to be someone that just planted them and doesn't know a thing about them. The hospital is a good hour away, but I'll try to get back in the coming weeks. You could have knocked me over with a feather to even see a rex outside now. I did a triple take. I'm sure people near the waiting room window thought I'd lost it!

I'd have been raising eyebrows on the bystanders if I'd seen that, too! I do have some begonias that over-winter here in z9, but with a lot of damage. And we seldom get below freezing (a little more this winter.) Haven't tried rexes--and don't think I will. Main reason I do the ones I do is they're too big to fit anywhere!

I would up having to go back to that hospital today, and those begonias are stil there!!! (!!!!) They look a little worse for wear, but some leaves were still intact and the rhizomes looked ok. This is officially a mystery!