Central Texas Freeze Prep and Recovery

A gardener’s guide for unpredictable Austin winters

Jennie Ostertag

1/22/26

Winter freezes are a normal part of gardening in Central Texas. What’s unusual here isn’t that it gets cold, but how quickly temperatures swing and how long cold can linger.

Damage is less often caused by a brief overnight freeze and more by prolonged periods below freezing.

How to Prioritize Your Landscape

If you can’t do everything, focus on:

  • Plants installed within the last 6 months

  • Potted or above-ground plants

  • Borderline or tender plants

  • Tender vegetables and herbs

Established native and well-adapted plants in the ground are generally more resilient.

Start With Safety

Before worrying about plants:

  • Prepare for power and water disruptions.

  • Protect pipes, disconnect hoses, and cover outdoor spigots.

  • Avoid driving during icy conditions when possible.

Your landscape comes second.

https://www.austintexas.gov/readycentraltexas

Winter Freeze Care Basics

Watering Before a Freeze

1

Watering in advance helps plants go into cold weather under less stress.

  • Water in-ground plants 1-2 days before a freeze

  • Avoid watering the night of the freeze, water earlier in the day if possible

  • Skip watering agave, cactus, yucca, and other succulents before a hard freeze

  • If soil is already saturated, do not add more water

  • After watering, turn off irrigation systems

  • Disconnect hoses and timers and protect with a foam faucet cover or thick towel

Mulch and Root Protection

2

Mulch helps buffer temperature swings.

  • Maintain ~3” of mulch over the root zone of trees, shrubs, and perennials year round

  • Keep mulch a few inches away from trunks and plant crowns (where roots meet the stem)

  • For succulents like agave, keep the crown dry (mulch may add too much moisture)

Covering Plants

3

Covers can maintain temperatures ~4-8 °F above surrounding air temperatures in ideal conditions, but during prolonged or particularly deep freezes they are not a guarantee of protection.

  • Use cloth materials like frost cloth, sheets, or blankets (these can be layered)

  • Covers should reach the ground to trap warmth

  • Avoid plastic touching leaves

  • Secure edges so wind can’t lift them

  • Remove or vent covers during warm daytime temperatures

Micro-climates and Containers

4

While we frequently experience deep and sudden freezes, the ground (soil) in Central Texas remains relatively warm, which protects plant roots. Plants in containers and raised beds are more vulnerable to freeze conditions.

  • Move containers into protected spaces (like the garage) when possible

  • Two yards on the same street can behave very differently.

    • South and west walls retain heat.

    • Low areas collect cold air.

    • Wind exposure increases damage. (Texas winter storms blow in from the northeast)

    • Stone and gravel radiate heat better than turf.

After the Freeze

5

Loss and die-back do not mean failure.

Central Texas landscapes are built around recovery. Patience is part of the process.

If you’ve worked with me, your landscape was designed with these cycles in mind.

  • Do not rush to prune

  • Damaged growth can protect plants from additional cold

  • Wait for new growth before cutting back

  • Expect delayed recovery into Texas spring (April or May for most of our species)

  • Lantana and Esperanza are often the last to return after cold winters. After a hard freeze, it is common not to see sprouts or regrowth until May or June for species that thrive in really hot temperatures.

At-a-Glance Freeze Care for Common Central Texas Landscape Plants

Central Texas freezes are unpredictable. Many well-chosen plants survive by going dormant and returning later than expected.

This guide groups commonly recommended plants by how they typically respond to freezes once established and planted in the ground. Newly planted and potted plants are always more vulnerable.

Minimal Protection Needed

Cold-tough once established

What to expect:
These plants usually handle Central Texas freezes with little intervention. Some leaf burn or die-back is normal. Cosmetic damage is common. Avoid pruning until new growth appears in spring.

  • Agarita

  • American Beauty Berry

  • Autumn Sage / Salvia greggii

  • Coreopsis, Lance-leaf

  • Crepe Myrtle

  • Crossvine

  • Damianita

  • Four Nerve Daisy

  • Hardy Herbs (Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme, Tarragon)

  • Inland Sea Oats

  • Liriope and Lily Turf

  • Muhly Grasses

  • Native Honeysuckles (Coral honeysuckle)

  • Red Yucca

  • Roses, including Knockout Roses

  • Sedges

  • Sideoats grama

  • Silverberry / Elaeagnus

  • Skeleton Leaf Goldeneye

  • Skullcap

  • Soft Leaf Yucca

  • Texas Mountain Laurel

  • Texas Sage

  • Wildflowers (Native)

  • Yaupon Holly (standard and dwarf)

Dies Back, Then Returns

Looks dead. Usually isn’t. Be patient.

What to expect:
May lose some or all above-ground growth. These plants often disappear completely after a hard freeze and re-emerge from the roots. Lantana and Esperanza are among the last to return, often late May or even June. Do not assume loss too early.

  • Artemisia

  • Beebalm

  • Berlandier’s Sundrops / Calylophus

  • Catmint ‘Walker’s Low’

  • Chile Petin

  • Columbine

  • Copper Canyon Daisy

  • Coral Bean

  • Coralberry

  • Esperanza / Yellow Bells

  • Fall Aster

  • Fall Obedient Plant

  • Flame Acanthus

  • Frog Fruit

  • Horse Herb

  • Lamb’s Ear

  • Lantana

  • Maypop / Purple Passionvine

  • Mexican Honeysuckle

  • Mexican Mint Marigold

  • Mexican Oregano

  • Mist Flower, Gregg's

  • Mist Flower, White / Shrubby Boneset

  • Pride of Barbados

  • Princess Caroline Fountain Grass

  • Purple Coneflower

  • Purple Heart

  • Rock Rose

  • Sacred Datura

  • Salvia / Sage (Tropical, Scarlet, Mexican Bush, Mealy Blue, Indigo Spires, Amistad, etc)

  • Senna, Lindheimer's

  • Shrimp Plant

  • Turks Cap

  • Woolly Stemodia

  • Yarrow

  • Zexmenia

Succulents, Yucca, Miscellaneous

Cold + moisture is the real risk

  • Agaves

  • Prickly Pear (Opuntia)

  • Sedums

  • Yuccas and Hesperaloes

  • Blackfoot Daisy

  • Dalea, Gregg's

  • Germander

  • Mexican Feather Grass

Special care notes for Succulents:

  • Some damage is normal in prolonged freezes

  • Do not water before a hard freeze

  • Protect from ice accumulation when possible

  • Keep crowns dry

  • Internal damage may take weeks to show