I admit I had to look up Little Elm ;), never heard of it.

You're quite a bit north of me, and my esperanza has just started to show some signs of life in the last few days.

They can freeze if the temps drop below 20. Where I am, we had 18o one night this winter. I urge you to immediately cut it back all the way to the ground. If it does come back, you will have a nice, full plant. It will reach the height it was last year by July. In 9 years I have lost only one to a freeze, so your odds are good even though you are a good bit north for esperanzas. You can always replace it if it doesn't show signs of life soon.

is this one of the plants that you can scratch the bottom with you finger nail...if it is green, it's alive: brown is gone????

I have one that I cut back and left about 6 inches tall so I would remember where it is. I'll cut down right away!
cynthia trying to have "hope"

I posted the same question last year. Mine didn't survive the Dallas winter, so I hope you have better luck!

I'm north west of Dallas and I've had mine three years now. So far so good, best to wait a little longer to see if you have any new growth at the bottom of the trunk.
Mine is putting on a lot of new growth this week.

They do not always survive in North Central Texas, but frequently will if you can get one good and established as far as the root system goes (sometimes difficult with the extremes of the last couple of years).

My research says Esperanza grows wild in Central Texas, north into New Mexico and Arizona, and east as far as Florida. As a rule, it is hardy to only zone 8b, so you never know how your plant will react. It depends on how cold it got, how long it stayed that cold, is it protected, in a micro-climate, or WHAT? LOL

Anyway, this is one tough plant, but it always scares the daylights out of you when other plants are greening up and it is not.

I would leave it alone, and see where the new foliage comes on. If it is 6" off the ground, cut it then. If it is closer to the tops of what you have left, cut them there. But I wouldn't do anything to it or for it until it shows signs of waking up.

Certainly do not feed it. Not yet.

Just MHO.

Good luck

Janie

suze9 is probably right- the older the plant, and therefore the more extensive the root system- that is the critical factor in the plant's ability to tolerate freezes. However, I have one that I got in July that I left out all winter in a large container by a brick wall, and we had an 18o freeze, but it is showing tiny buds. Mother nature does unexpected things now and then.
The "wild," or native tecoma stans grows mostly in Southwest Texas. It blooms quite late and not nearly as prolifically as the cultivars sold in nurseries, which set bloom several weeks earlier and bloom until a freeze. For some time, Gold Star has been the standard nursery stock, but others are becoming available. There is an orange on the market now. Early reports are that it's not terribly hardy. I'd like to try one but haven't found one. I'd have to go to Dallas or Austin, or order one.
If your esperanza seems to slow down in mid-summer, cutting it back maybe by half and fertilizing will revitalize it and you will have spectacular fall color. That's certainly not necessary, and of course you lose a few weeks of bloom while it regrows. Jerry Parsons of A&M cuts his TO THE GROUND mid-summer, but I don't have the guts to do that. He's in San Antonio and therefore has a couple of more weeks growing time on both ends of the growing season. Naturally, we do have to cut them all the way back in the spring because the tops have frozen and are useless and unsightly.

Eldo1960, the orange esperanza is not very pretty. I expected great ORANGE blossoms, but they are kind of dull and mousey, and small blooms. A great disappointment.

Janie

You might get lucky, and it might come back, but I treat them as an annual in Lewisville, and just pot them for the season.

thanks all
I cut her down to the ground level today and it was all brown. I'll keep an eye on that spot and will replace it if something doesn't show up in the next month.

smiles
c

Thanks a lot, Janie. I won't try the orange esparanza even if I see one at the nursery.

Thanks to you all!
I cut it all the way down yesterday. I tried using the saw that came in my "do it herself" kit. The saw is now a mangled mess. I guess it was not meant for wood ;)
I will watch it to see if any new growth begins. The roots are pretty thick, some are about as thick as my pinky finger. I really hope it is still alive. It isnt going to be easy pulling it up if it is dead!

I just found new leaves sprouting on my esperanza today, and I'm in San Antonio, in case that helps you. I had cut it down to the ground about two weeks ago.

I'm in a colder zone and mine has come up twice from the roots. It got 12ft tall last year! This is a new plant planted in July 05 BTW. We had a freak freeze last year and it still lived. I think that freeze went down to 8 degrees.PJ

Hi, I'm Cathy and live about 40 miles north of Houston. I planted my Esperanza last year, it's June 30th and still no leaves. What do ya'll think, dead or alive?

Does anyone still look at this. .. I need help. The

Sure we do. I don't see a picture of your esperanza, but It is only April 30th. It may have frozen and will come back from the root. Do you have a picture of it?