Winter and early spring blooming plants are some of our favorites. They’re a reminder that warm weather is on the way. We eagerly watch the buds swell on our saucer magnolias, camellias, and fruit trees until those beautiful blossoms burst open.
Unless we’re disappointed when a late frost strikes, burning blossoms and knocking buds off of trees and plants. Sometimes garden plants recover and produce more blooms, but in other cases the show is over until next year. Here’s what to know about saving blooming plants after a hard freeze—and which flowers can easily survive a frost.
How Does Frost Affect Blooming Plants?
While hardened plants can withstand a light frost without damage, the same isn’t true of tender new growth. Freezing temperatures may zap buds, newly opened foliage, and flowers. Some or all of the damaged tissues may turn an ugly black or brown.
Blooming plants that sustain frost damage may have fewer flowers in spring or even none at all. However, if buds have just started to develop, they are less vulnerable to a freeze and may still bloom once the weather warms.
Early spring bulbs have a reputation for escaping frost damage, sometimes even blooming in the snow. The flowers of spring bulbs can often withstand temperatures down into the mid-20s before damage occurs.
How Can You Save Your Flowers From Freezing Weather?
If a cold snap is on the way, take these actions to protect your flowers from damage:
- Cover strawberry plants and other ground-hugging flowers with a thick layer of straw until the freeze passes. (Most spring bulbs don’t require this protection.)
- Low-growing shrubs like azaleas can be covered with a frost cloth.
- Spring annuals in containers should move to a protected area indoors or to a garage or greenhouse.
Unfortunately, some trees and shrubs are too large to be covered during a hard freeze. The best you can do is wait and hope the flowers and buds aren’t harmed by frost.
Which Blooming Plants Aren’t Affected By Frost?
Early spring bloomers like cherry blossom trees are notoriously delicate when it comes to cold snaps, but there are many flowers that will withstand a light frost. Here are a few hardy winter and spring bloomers to add to your garden:
