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sam_md

ZAPPED

9 years ago

20°F low last night in my area. That was really a shock, not to mention devastating to some woodies in bloom. As we drove around today we saw hundreds of these saucer magnolias with brown flowers.

only yesterday flowering quince was beautiful red.
'Okame' cherry flowers are history.
How about you, any freeze damage?

Comments (47)

  • 9 years ago

    Dang...that is really a shame. A whole year to wait. No freeze damage here, but we're all a bit water-logged. A few trees have cracked or blown over during high winds and soil whose consistency resembles applesauce.

  • 9 years ago

    the mags look like mine ... every other year.. up here in MI ... and if the temps dont get them ... the day after they open.. we get a wind storm that rips them up .. lol....


    gotta be a great plant for a once in 3 years bloom show ... to be worth it to keep around ....


    ken

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm curious to see what happens with my magnolias, because the "furry flower bud cover thingie" on Gresham hybrids like 'Tina Durio' is thicker than that on plain old M. X soulangeana. (compared a tree in my neighborhood with mine) Oh well, if it's a completely lost show, it will be the first in 10 years since I've lived here. A couple years ago we had a sort of 1/2 damage situation because the soulangeanas were finished by the time we had a last frost (not freeze) The edges of petals on 'Tina Durio' was somewhat browned but not completely.

    This is the closest to in-bloom camellia I have, very little browning and I think it will be fine assuming we don't have another late freeze.

    The other thing I worried about were the leaves on Pseudocydonia which are about 1-2 cm expanded. But they seem ok.

    Another interesting thing is that at 17F or so, the remaining petals of 'Peggy Clarke' didn't completely brown out like the 'Okame' you show. Maybe like 25% are still mostly pink, especially the still opening ones and ones sheltered under branchlets. Making me think their flowers are slightly frost resistant.

    Mahonia X intermedia F2 are completely fine.

  • 9 years ago

    David, I'm always amazed at how cold hardy camellia buds are, even when showing lots of color as is your beautiful plant.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Despite the warmth, our spring-flowering Magnolias were not that advanced (coastal NJ/Zone 7). So, I don't think there will be much if any damage to spring flowering Magnolias or Japanese Cherries. Some of my camellia buds were already open and will probably be freeze dried by morning but most are still closed (as in the above photo).

  • 9 years ago

    We got down around 30 degrees here last night. No drastic freeze damage, but the tips of some of the saucer magnolia flowers turned brown.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    12F Sunday morning, but nothing here was doing enough to be damaged. Green daffodil and resurrection lily sprouts look OK, if wilted alittle.


    Seems saucer magnolia flowers are ruined by cold more often than not.

  • 9 years ago

    All opened camellias are toast. Kinda sad. Looks like Osmanthus x burkwoodii buds are frozen too. Photinias were starting to leaf out. Too early to tell on those.

  • 9 years ago

    I have a love-hate relationship with spring, I love that winter is over and hate that winter often comes back, several times. Sam, you've gone through what happens here in TN more often than not. Things come into growth only to be frozen, sometimes more than once.

    My mags were almost in full bloom and were subjected to four low 20's events, alternating with 60's-70's, and a couple twisters thrown in for good measure. The good thing is that everything else is fine.

    If this weather pattern continues, I see a rough spring ahead.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    "If this weather pattern continues, I see a rough spring ahead."

    Agreed. But this is the price we pay for being in the world's most capricious continental climate, where anyone in the mid-latitudes east of the Rockies can sometimes enjoy 65 degree days in the middle of winter. (anyone who isn't a horticulturalist!)

    But here is one of the recovering 'Peggy Clarke' flowers I mentioned. Plant from a distance now looks pinkish-brown...at least better than completely brown!

  • 9 years ago

    One bright note, my AP Witch Hazel came through with flying colors :)


  • 9 years ago

    sam_md - my AP is blooming now too, but only within 8-10" of the ground where it was protected by snow cover last Dec. On 12/19/16 the temp fell to -15F, "zapping" nearly all the higher flower buds.

  • 9 years ago

    Got down to 26F here Saturday morning, but really no damage to anything blooming. I'll take the hard freeze now if it means we'll be spared any April surprise freezes.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gonna be cold next week too! Do you guys think that the recent cold will stop development? .... or do the plants have some kind of 'momentum' and will continue to try to put out growth and buds?

  • 9 years ago

    I saw some more "zapped" saucer magnolia and prunus mume blooms today. Completely brown and dead.

  • 9 years ago

    The cold will slow them down..., A GOOD THING! I had heard about the Saucers further south. Ironically, more northern ones did not suffer from the last cold spell (not mature enough).

    My Camellia blooms that had opened did get zapped but there still are plenty of unopened ones. March and EVEN APRIL can be the CRUEST months of Mother Nature...., even in zone 7 (if not higher)!

  • 9 years ago

    When we had trees breaking bud late March several years ago it took well over a month for many trees to reset buds and break bud again.

  • 9 years ago

    I have two Kansan cherries, still tight but swollen buds. Should be fine.

    My seedling nursery...only trident maple is advanced enough to be of concern. Half inch leaves already. I moved them to the garage for the last freeze...gonna have to do it again (they are potted). The other acer are either still dormant or only slight bud swell, so should be fine. Oaks haven't made a peep yet.

    My in-ground metasequoia hasn't broken bud yet, either. Maybe a bit of swelling.

  • 9 years ago

    Looks like more big time zappage coming up.

  • 9 years ago

    The trees up here haven't started to flower yet, but my asters, irises and day lilies were sprouting last week when it was 60F. Last night it got down to 8F, and highs in the 20's for the weekend! Ouch.

  • 9 years ago

    Looks like we are going to get blizzard conditions here mid week with an explosive nor'easter. This, after needing to use car air conditioning a month ago. That makes sense.

  • 9 years ago

    March is a strange month, you think it will be spring but the winter will just intensify. Not every year but often enough

  • 9 years ago

    Snow is good though, for the bulbs and perennials that are popping. It insulates them.


    Wont help a tree, though!

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't expect to see snow....... the weather today showed no signs of snow being on the way (general signs like cloudy sky, really cold outside, etc.). just windy. If it does snow I will be greatly disappointed because I am just now enjoying my methley plum blossoms. The most wonderfully fragrant tree that you'll ever encounter.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Might be a foot or more snow here late Monday thru Tuesday. Of course, mid-March 1993 was the ultimate March snowstorm -- around 25" of wet snow in Blacksburg, VA. Early April 1987 produced 12" snow mixed w/rain in Blacksburg & 30-40" snow in Tazewell & Bluefield, VA.

  • 9 years ago

    From the forecast, I expect a few wet flurries but nothing that will stick. I still hope my methley plum flowers don't freeze. I may cut some and bring them indoors....

  • 9 years ago

    As long as there is no freezing RAIN..., absolutely the WORST for people, AND TREES.

  • 9 years ago

    We have at least another week of teens/20s before we break out of this new cold front. What will happen to these do you think (Magnolia Elizabeth)

    I believe this is the saucer magnolia everyone is talking about...sad...part of the reason I like the evergreen mags better:

  • 9 years ago

    Had some wet snow here today. Melted on contact with the ground. Hopefully we will see no more.

  • 9 years ago

    these blooms will never make it through tonight.....ugh. It is frigid and windy, teens it feels like...I just took this photo out in the front of the house this afternoon. First time this magnolia blooms, too:(

  • 9 years ago

    My great loss was all the bloom on Rhododendron mucronulatum 'alba', but from experience, I expected it. Too frequent. But I did get fine photos, a day or two before the severe frost. Another was the bloom on my Prunus mume. All brown now.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I was also thinking about R. mucronulatum. The Winterhazel Walk at Winterthur Gardens is famous for the combination of R.m. and Corylopsis as noted here I've got a sick feeling this year all the flowers will be zapped.

  • 9 years ago

    Pretty much any prunus in bloom is toast.

  • 9 years ago

    "Worm Moon" that's the name of tonight's full moon, really bright. I never really understood how the moon phases and weather are related but surely they are. The heaviest snow this year is forecast for eastern US on Tuesday.

  • 9 years ago

    "Pretty much any prunus in bloom is toast."

    No. It snowed last night and melted around 11am. Prunus salicina blooms as beautiful as ever. Can't say the same for ornamental cherries.

  • 9 years ago

    Flowering crab. About half-alive.

  • 9 years ago

    Poor flowering crab:( anyone know what the status is on the cherry blossoms in DC?

  • 9 years ago
  • 9 years ago

    I've got one Yoshino cherry left that has a few blooms on it, mainly due to encroaching shade. We have been below freezing for over 24 hours so far, it will probably get above freezing this PM. Low this morning was 21F, it's been in the 20's for about 15 hours. Tonight's forecast low is 20F, I suspect it will go lower. We had flurries overnight so blooms have some ice on them, not as much as DC though. In the past my cherries have endured 16F while in full bloom and suffered minor damage, not enough to notice at a distance. The difference here this year is the numerous freezing events the past 7-10 days and the duration of this current event. I have a P.s. autumnalis that's been in full bloom for almost 2 weeks and is now past peak and "shedding". Yesterday I looked at the blossoms up close and they had no freeze damage. This AM they look fine from inside, I've not ventured out yet and my dog is getting antsy LOL.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Amusing side development of the snow. No bird has ever eaten my Koehne holly berries. Snow this late has apparently made a huge flock of robins overcome their dislike of them, though. About 30 minutes after taking this video, no more were visible!

  • 9 years ago

    My flowering crabs (unknown variety, they were already here, but they are a white flowered, green leaves type) have about 100% bud death, including leaves.

    I assume they will push new adventious leaf buds.

  • 9 years ago

    LOL David, those robins were ravenous. Cedar waxwings will do the same thing. Sound effects interesting (clothes washer?)

    tonight's evening news stated that an orchard in central Maryland declared a total loss on several acres of Methley Plums due to frozen flowers.

  • 9 years ago

    To me that's odd. Why would an orchard grow methley plums? The fruit is the size of a cherry tomato. Mine has done just fine, with no freeze damage. I'm surprised.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    "Why would an orchard grow methley plums? The fruit is the size of a cherry tomato"

    Maybe they are used for jam making?

    I would guess it's going to be a terrible year for fruit crops throughout various parts of the eastern US. I saw something at the NWS about South GA and North FL having a freeze warning. http://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/winter-weather-threatens-georgia-blueberry-peach-crops/w79xMJMUidhKfLENyYCGZL/

    Sound is a dishwasher ;-) Had to shoot through a window in the house, I couldn't have stood out there. Having to fly near the ground makes them very easy to spook. BTW that hedge is about 60' long, and the whole it was like that scene. I couldn't pan much because my car was in the way. There must have been at least 100 birds at times.

    Tom Tasselmyer just pointed out Baltimore just had its first 7 day stretch below normal, for the entire winter.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    David, kind of the same thing here -- pyrocanthus berries often rot on the shrub the next yr (they're quite long-lasting), but last couple days have been cleaned off completely.

  • 9 years ago

    How often do you see a healthy planting of Daphne genkwa? I took this pic today in Baltimore.

    Closer examination of the flowers and.................you guessed it, ZAPPED