Other garden preliminary damage report
All in all, not too bad. It was dark, and a few things I am not sure about.
Something that possibly survived in this garden that didn't in my private garden is Billbergia nutans. Neither clump has ever been happy, one complaining about too much sun and heat, the other about too much shade and dampness. Well sun and heat might have saved the life of the surviving clump. I have noticed this before: some plants are hardier in more sun, presumably because they build up higher sugar levels. I'll have to take another look in the daytime but the leaves are still firm, not squishy like the ones in my private garden.
Colquehounia completely defoliated as expected. It already had a little bark damage so I expect to lose the whole top. Bummer.
I don't know about Callistemon montana. I wish I could see the color of the leaves to confirm that there is no necrosis. They are still firm and leathery, and the bark is intact.
Lomatia tinctoria (or whatever it's called these days) seems to be just fine. Well I have seen them in other people's gardens survive lower temps so this is not too surprising.
I'll keep an eye on Ian's Hakea macrocarpa but I think it's OK too. It's a little droopy but it always was!
I think Fabiana imbricata violaceae is just fine too. It's not particularly tender.
I suspect Cestrum parquii will be OK but it remains to be seen how much dieback I get.
Amaryllis belladonna foliage is mush. I was worried about that when I saw a Nerine (close relation) in someone else's yard with the leaves turned to mush. The bulb should be fine but this probably means no flowers this year.
Some damage to other bulb's foliage as well. Nothing too serious, but again flowers may be compromised.
Viola hederacea reduced to mush. Usually they come back from bits and pieces so it should be fine.
Too early to say about Arenga macrantha. I will keep everyone posted.
Now for some good news:
Agave 'something in the montana-macroculmus group' looks just fine, as does another Agave whose tag disintegrated years ago. The leaves are as firm as ever.
And a newbie made it through its first hard winter: Sutherlandia montana! Yes! (JB, haven't forgotten about you--no hurry it's still a little early to plant these).
The following thread was started by Rob Wagner on January 13, 2004 at 7:56 pm PST
Rob, surprisingly my Bilbergia nutans looks okay. Even some Aechmeas from Yucca do look okay now that things have thawed.
My Acacias have made it I think with Acacia dealbata looking the worst for wear. My Acacia baileyana...big tree....has lost the flower buds....will it regenerate them? Probably not.....but the tree as of yesterday was showing the typical bluish foliage again after looking decidedly grayer last week.
Pittosporums have some burned leaves but not too bad....this includes P. eugeniodes....looks great.
Palms look okay...even baby Brahea edulis in the ground. Trachys...no problem.
Even my CIDP looks okay.
Most Eucs are okay with some damaged leaves....these include E. camphora, E. viminalis and an unknown Euc I grew from seed from Arizona. They all should come back.
Colquihouna should recover just fine Rob.
Fabiana imbricate 'vilolacea' is fine...it survived the freeze of '98 with no problem.
Beschorneas and Yuccas and Agaves all seem to have survived. Even ones in pots. Many Agaves had soft leaves which upon thawing hardened up. Great news.
Aloes were not a good story. I know they're good to about 26F but most are mush. Perhaps they'll come back from the roots.
Others surprising me:
Grevillea robusta....leaves are purple and often fall in the spring but the tree is not damaged.
Clianthus puniceus....no damage
Podocarpus nagi....a little bronzed foliage
Cordyline baurei....tops froze....trunk intact
Cordyline "greens"...appear mostly fine all over town. I may lose the top from one big one only.
Lomatia ferruginea...small one....no problem
Maytenus boaria....no damage
Nolina nelsonii...no damage
Dasylirion....no damage
Nolina "La Siberica"....no damage
Tetrapanax papyrifera....leaves gone but trunk fine.
Leptospermums....all fine
Grevillea "Noelii".....50% damaged foliage
I'll report on more as well...
Good to hear your report Rob
The above followup was added by Steve in Portland z8b on January 14, 2004 at 7:07 am PST.
Steve - I'm always on the hunt for bromeliads that might be hardy here. Can you give me a listing of what Aechmeas you have in your garden and survived the past freeze? Any other broms that made it through in your garden?
Thanks!
Berndt
The above followup was added by Berndt on January 14, 2004 at 9:58 am PST.
Berndt - Cistus Design has Fascicularia bicolor (Spunner's) the leaves are silvery blue.
Rob I am very surprised that Billbergia nutans was damaged in your garden. Sorry to hear that. I haven't had any problems with my clump. It's one of those plants I just water and forget about. Blooms very year.
Amaryllis belladonna and Nerine will still bloom this year. As you know they are bulbs and store all there energy for bloom inside, and not in the foliage. They should bloom! I give mine bulb fertz. every April and again in early Sept. They almost need it in our rainy winter.
My Callistemon little John has no damage on it; currently this is the only one I have. And it blooms early for me.
This is the year I am going to grow lots of bromeliads in one area of my garden. I like to all the ones from Yucca Do, and some more from FL and CA. Will give a list as I get them in the mail.
I did have some tender ones that loss half there foliage maybe more, and the other two I protected are just fine. My most exotic and favorite one I almost loss. Like a nuckle head,I for got to bring it inside. It has very heavy damage to it, but looks like it might be ok come this summer, it's a full sun loving one call Aechmea blanchetiana .
Here’s a pic from a website what mine looked like last summer. Hopefully it will make a full recovery.
Are there any hardy New Zealand bromeliads?
The above followup was added by Roger in Olympia on January 14, 2004 at 1:00 pm PST.
Berndt......I ordered these Aechmeas from Yucca Do...they are hybrids of Aechmea recurvata and I can't remember which ones.
I went outside and looked again before I write this and both clumps of different hybrid Aechmeas look bronzed. They are still firm and I believe that any die out will be okay if they don't rot. My Bilbergia nutans looks pretty good even potted ones. I have several Puyas that look great as well as the Fasicularia that Roger mentioned. I am pleased with Dyckias as well. A recently obtained one in a pot looks very bad but who knows it may come back.
I have had various bunches of Spanish Moss around and about and it does fine unless the birds don't carry it off. I should say until the birds carry it off. I have clumps growing in my greenhouse.
I just checked on my Pseudopanax....they are all fine! I am very pleased and suggest that more people look up these plants. All of the following have little or no damage.
Pseudopanax ferox....6 footer
Pseudopanax 'Sabre'....4 footer
Pseudopanax arboreus....schefflera like leaves are damaged but plant looks great...green stems....plant is still very sturdy.
Ficus sarmentosa looks great
Cestrum parqui...defoliated
Cestrum "orange peel"....defoliated
Butia capitata....new fronds growing...no damage
Butia yatay....potted....no damage
Cycas revoluta....damage to fronds varies. Crowns still viable
Actinidia coriacea from Heronswood...no damage
Hebes got clobbered except for the most hardy ones....surprisingly 'Alicia Amherst' looks like one of the hardiest.
I don't believe any are dead but most were clobbered like "Coed", "Pattys Purple", "Great Orme", "Spender's seedling", and a great many unnamed "pink" flowering ones.....
Ceanothus "Dark Star" fine
Fremontodendron....fine
Myrtus communis...various sp.....no damage
various Michelias....no damage
All the potted Opuntias including "Santa Rita" look fine..
Dicksonia antarctica....I have 3 and I think they have survived.....the undersides of the fronds are still green while the tops are bronzed....hope the crowns survived....
That's enough for now but will report on more later
The above followup was added by Steve in Portland z8b on January 14, 2004 at 3:40 pm PST.
Steve, hello! I didn't mention a lot of things whose performance didn't surprise me--like the Pittosporums.
It sounds like you had some surprise survivors tho. I would not have expected Clianthus puniceus to survive. Was it protected?
Which Beschornerias do you have? Probably B. yuccoides? I would like to try one of those hybrids between B. septemtrionalis and another species--forget which--with big flowering stalks and reddish flowers.
You have the highly-coveted Lomatia feruginea?! Glad to hear it's OK. What was its exposure like (shelter? Out in the open?)?
Berndt, do you have Fascicularia bicolor CANICULATA? (sorry to shout--I'm yanking someone's chain here...inside joke...). It's the one Bromeliad from a compatible climate (there might be other compatible subspecies, dunno). Mine seem to be fine, despite trouble with the Billbergia.
Roger, there are no native Bromeliads in New Zealand, Bud (quite common on the north end of the North Island in cultivation tho). The family is a relative johhny-come-lately that hasn't gotten out of the Americas on its own yet (which is odd because some have seeds that do ride the wind...). They originated in South America and the only ones found in a climate similar to ours come from southern Chile. There are only a few. Billbergias are from southern Brazil, northern Argentina, and Urugay; they reach some altitude and probably have some vestigial hardiness left over from when that part of the world was colder than it is now. I must be doing something wrong; mine was never happy.
There is a genus from New Zealand that reminds one of a Bromeliad: Astelia. The flowers are, ah, humble, but the foliage is often spectacular. You would like them. Big leafy things that grow in on beaches, along rivers, and in the major forks of trees in the forests.
Haven't heard from anyone reporting how Astelia nervosa chathamica (often called 'Silver Spear') performed. A robust form of A. nervosa from the Chatham Islands. There are some other big ones too, big epiphytes in the forests.
The above followup was added by Rob Wagner on January 14, 2004 at 3:52 pm PST.
Thanks! - Love the Aechmea Blanchetiana and will definitely get one myself for this summer. My Puyas all look fine, no damage, however the Fascicularia Pitcairnfolia is pretty damaged. Have lots of other little broms that I have outside in the summer but brought in before it got cold (Aechmea recurvata, Billbergia "Smokey Rose", Neoregelia "Fireball", and a few more...
b.
The above followup was added by Berndt on January 14, 2004 at 4:15 pm PST.
Rob, thats really funny, ha! ha!.....because I just order a new book the other day all about how to grow Bromeliads in New Zealand. Check out website below. To bad they're not native.
Yes, I do have Astelia nervosa chathamica about 2' tall, it was unprotect and there is no damage what so ever. I also have the red form, it smaller and it is ok.
Hey Berndt you should check out Burls (rare plant research) Bromeliads collection next time your in Portland area, it's amazing! He has all the big colorful tropical ones. You might be able to buy one of this big ones for the right price. Thats were the Aechmea blanchetiana came from, quite the show stopper at 3' tall.
The above followup was added by Roger in Olympia on January 14, 2004 at 5:17 pm PST.
Just wondering if this one would do okay here and if it tolerates drought?
The above followup was added by Linda, Denman Island on January 14, 2004 at 8:01 pm PST.
Hey Rob and all...
I know this is sick but in a way, I am glad we had that freeze so we can test our plants. I hate to lose anything and like a fool, I left potted things out that died (Strelitzea) even in my protected entryway that hasn't dropped below freezing since 1998.
The Lomatia was obtained from Cistus Design and is still a baby. It's been in the ground for only 2 years but looks great. It is in a protected spot with some protection from a Viburnum tinus, Ceanothus and very large Mugho Pines. Hopefully, the plan is that it will grow up through this other protective growth. The nearby baby Embothrium looks good too.
The Beschorneas (I have 2) are distinctly different and one is yuccaoides (sp?) a very pale grey/green. Surprise...it is potted too. Right out in the driveway and seems to have made it just fine. The other is a green one that Jay Higgins gave to me...looks a lot greener than the other. Both potted, both exposed...both fine. I'd say a very good bet for the PNW with drainage.
I'm most surprised by my Pseudopanax...see the posting below.....
My big Agapetes may be dead tho branches still have green/red leaves....easy to root though.
More later as time permits....
The above followup was added by Steve in Portland z8b on January 15, 2004 at 3:57 am PST.
Rob, forgot to mention the Clianthus. I grew this from see 4 years ago and have since grown plants from "my" own seed....the mother plant is protected in front and somewhat on the top by a big Mugho Pine. It is somewhat protected overhead by an Abutilon and Pittosporum tennuifolium hybrid. I am surprised by it's hardiness considering I have seen it listed as a "wall shrub". Doesn't seem to need that here....
The above followup was added by Steve in Portland z8b on January 15, 2004 at 4:04 am PST.
Steve, I still have the start you sent up with Ian, and its own offspring from when I rooted the branches broken by police officers who were wandering through my garden looking for someone (not me).
It was damaged, but it lives. It is definitely not as hardy as A. x 'Ludvgan Cross' although it is more vigorous. I'll give it some TLC this spring and try to get some starts off it to send back to you.
Better yet I could send A. x 'Ludvgan Cross' if you don't have it. I have one potted up and amazingly it survived.
Contact me offline.
The above followup was added by Rob Wagner on January 15, 2004 at 8:37 am PST.
Roger -
I actually did visit Burl's garden last summer. He's got an amazing collection of Bromeliads (as well as other plants), quite a treat!. He & his wife also visited us up here in Seattle last summer to check out our garden.
Additional question that I have:
how does one check whether the Cyathea Cooperii/Australis/Brownii that I have are still alive? Do I need to wait until spring? All the fronds and also the unfurling fiddleheads are pretty much dead - hanging limp to the ground. However, some of the not unfurled new frondheads are still firm and look/feel healthly. Also when I feel into the croziere it seems that the fronds down there are still firm...is there a chance that they indeed are still alive (it would be close to a miracle after the temps we had). Any thoughts?
As for the Clianthus, I was also very surprised that it made it through without protection and no harm whatsoever...thought they are more tender. Even the Kangaroo Apple is still alive...go figure...
Berndt
The above followup was added by Berndt on January 15, 2004 at 2:16 pm PST.
How big are your tree ferns?
Are they in the ground?
If you can feel fronds down there that are still firm thats a good sign. Mine are the same way, ( 5gal and 15gal) planted and pretty sure they will regrow. Keep the cold off of them but don't wrapp them, they still need to breath, unless you get another big freeze. I have a feeling we won't. You could cover them lightly around the trunk with evergreen branchs. Maybe someone else has more to say.
Do you have any Pics of your garden?
The above followup was added by Roger In Olympia on January 15, 2004 at 3:21 pm PST.
They are all in the ground. The C. Australis was planted last Spring, still very small. The C. Cooperiis were planted 3 years ago, the bigger one is just about to form a trunk.
C. Brownii is in the ground the second year, still small.
Yeah, the fronds down in the croziere are still firm, actually the Australis even have firm unfurling fronds. I already took off all the protection (which wasn't all that much unfortuantely since we were out of town during the freeze).
Have a few pics which I could send you by e-mail. Also, definitely don't want to sound obnoxious or snotty, but you can see some pics of the garden also in the Dec issue of Seattle Homes & Lifestyles...
Berndt
The above followup was added by Berndt on January 15, 2004 at 4:20 pm PST.
Quit being obnoxious and snotty, LOL. Yes you really can't tell if your treeferns are alive until spring. Sometimes you can tell if they're dead in February or March, if the crown gets rotten and mushy. The temps we had are pushing it for C. cooperi and C. brownii - 22F is usually about the limit for them. C. australis, if you have got a real one, is much hardier, but often loses its fronds below about the mid 20s.
The above followup was added by Ian on January 15, 2004 at 6:31 pm PST.
Well - Ian....let's hope that they are fine...I'd be very sad if they all kicked the bucket. Since they inner fronds all seems to be firm and not mushy at this point, I think there is some hope...but I do agree that it would almost be surprising given the temps that those poor ferns went through. Supposedly we have "true" Australis. Got them from Canada and was promised that they were "checked" that they were really Australis spores and are "confirmed". C. Australis...once they are bigger I'll send you a pic of them for confirmation...or point you to a magazine :-)
Berndt
The above followup was added by Berndt on January 15, 2004 at 8:21 pm PST.
Ok, Berndt I will email you soon, with a few pics of my jungle garden, or a less thats the long term goal.
The above followup was added by Roger in Olympia on January 16, 2004 at 2:02 am PST.
I have a mimosa gaulois whose feathery leaves are going yellow and dropping off. If I don't water occasionally then the young growth weeps and bends but I am concerned that I am watering too much causing the yellowing of the leaves and the falling off. Any ideas where I going wrong ?
The above followup was added by david on February 15, 2004 at 8:56 am PST.
http://home.comcast.net/~jbraschler/cidp.jpg
The above followup was added by test on September 06, 2004 at 12:37 am PST.