Since December, Extension professionals in the Front Range and Eastern Plains have been fielding calls from homeowners worried about their evergreens. Some questions have touched upon whether deciduous trees and shrubs were affected by the Cold Snap. Now that spring is here, we are seeing what appears to be Cold Snap damage to these landscape plants. Thanks to CSU’s PestServe list, green industry and Extension professionals as well as Colorado Master Gardeners and citizens have been chronicling the damage which has been observed on deciduous landscape plants. So far, the list of plants which demonstrate cold damage dieback, sometimes to the ground, is rather lengthy:
Trees:
Fruit trees such as Apple, Pear, Cherry
Pyrus calleryana- Callery Pear – less blooms
Prunus cerisifera ‘Newport’
Plums
Salix sp., especially Globe Willow
Conifers: Juniper, Arborvitae (in addition to previously observed damage to pines, spruces, etc)
Shrubs:
Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus cultivars)
Cotoneaster species
Rose – cane dieback to ground
Euonymus fortunei cultivars
Boxwood (Buxus sp.), burned or damaged
Privet (Ligustrum)
Spirea
Weigela
Buckthorn (Rhamnus sp.)
Holly
Barberry (Berberis cultivars)
Daphne (Carol Mackie cultivar)
Hibiscus syriacus
As more trees and shrubs leaf out, we may continue to see damage from landscape plants that were affected by the November Cold Snap. What have you noticed in your landscape? Please feel free to comment on whether you have seen significant dieback on woody and other landscape plants this year.