The results are in, at least I hope that I can now confirm that no major damage was done by last week’s freeze that coincided with the most vulnerable period for emerging leaves of Japanese maples. I think that rainfall and a few days of clouds were helpful minimizing the damage, but warm and sunny days have followed, and much of the drooping and off-color foliage has revived. Hopefully, temperatures will not fall into the twenties again this spring.

An exposed ‘Twombly’s Red Sentinel’ (above) at the top of the rear garden suffered most, with many wilted and now obviously dying leaves, but enough undamaged leaves remain to know that the large maple will return to good health. I was equally concerned by several other maples, including a three year old ‘Mikawa yatsubusa’ (below) that will lose only leaves at its branch tips. One branch was stripped of bark by deer early in winter, and I question if it will come into leaf. Still, I am quite pleased that damage was less than I feared.

There are minor damages otherwise. It matters little since I’ve mostly given up on them, but new leaves of bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla, below) were badly damaged, with only a few leaves near the ground escaping injury. Of course, this was shortly after dead branch tips from winter cold were pruned, with no hope for early flowering until remontant (reblooming) varieties reset flower buds. I expect another round of pruning will now be necessary.

While I care deeply about damage to Japanese maples and many other plants in the garden, bigleaf hydrangeas are wearing out their welcome. Winter injury and late freezes diminish flowering more often than not. There are too many wonderful plants to bother with ones that consistently disappoint.

I am surprised that perennials weathered the freeze with almost no damage. A few toad lilies (Tricyrtis) suffered minor injury, but most were barely above ground, and so they benefitted from the warmth of the soil.

I am most pleased that the Asian mayapples (above) were not damaged at all since an ill-timed freeze killed all above ground growth a few years ago. Native mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum, below) suffer through the varying early spring temperatures without a problem, and I’m pleased by the increasing numbers of natives and non-natives.

I am most surprised by damage to new fronds of several ferns. Fortunately, these are nearly indestructible, and perhaps the freeze damage will slow their relentless spread across leaf covered paths in the side garden.