Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
mosgra

Southern Wax Myrtle freeze damage

miraje
13 years ago

Hello! I planted a mixed row of shrubs about a month ago. I probably should have waited a little longer, but we're in a pretty major drought right now and I wanted to give them a good chance to get established before the summer heat arrives.

Anyway, a few weeks after they were planted we had one night that hit 26 degrees. It didn't seem to bother the forsythias, rose of sharon, or viburnum at all, but it hit the southern wax myrtles and chaste trees pretty hard. They're both slowly recovering it seems, but the wax myrtles have dropped all of their lower leaves. The only foliage left on them now is new growth at the top that has grown since the freeze. They look pretty naked and sad at this point, so I'm wondering if or when the lower foliage will grow back? My only experience with evergreens like this is the two red-tip photinias we have, and they don't defoliate from cold like this.

Thank you!

Comments (4)