Backyard before and after pictures from the Snowpocolpyse in Texas

Flippy

0
Jan 8, 2011
608
Richmond, Texas
After 10+ years of fighting to keep the palm trees alive from freezes in SE Texas they are all gone. 1st pic was when it looked the best in 2016, 2nd was during the Snowpocolypse and last is what it looks like this past weekend. The big Canary Island date palm may have been the only one to survive this freeze but we had most everything removed and will start over with trees that can survive a hard freeze without being damaged.


backyardpalms.jpgbackyard4.jpgbackyard3.jpg
 
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WOW :eek: Took it all out, that freeze was crazzy, it actually sent my tall grasses into dormant and that has not happened before...
 
I am right along with you. Although we got rid of our 3 big palms several years ago (just too much maintenance and droppings into pool) our yard around the pool is nearly bare. What survived we have now cut back to stimulate new growth. We have made numerous trips to the garden centers. While the plumbers and sheet rock crews made a lot of money in the weeks following the Valentine Freeze, the landscape, nurseries and other garden centers are doing the same now that spring is near. This is why Home Depot and Lowe's are great with their year round business model. Regardless of what is going on, they have the parts, equipment, supplies, etc. to help the homeowner. The guys that pick up trash have been very busy with all the plants and tree limbs that have been cut back and put on the curb. One of my neighbors had 22 bags of debris plus numerous branches tied in bundles for pickup.
 
I have 2 shorter palms that seem to be putting up green shoots and a taller one (leaning over my pool in order to get more sun!) that -looks- like it is putting out green shoots but we'll see. I have no idea if that is a surefire sign of life or if the trees could still die. I do have 1 itty bitty sago putting up shoots but all the others are still dormant/dead. Lost a few other trees as well, ugh. At least most of my yard were live oaks which are just fine and ground cover which I'm sure will grow back.
 
I read that if any trees/bushes haven't grown any green buds by now, consider them dead.:cry: We had 6 oleanders that were a complete loss. It looked like we lost all of our crepe myrtles, but this past week, they all started growing buds and today they are full of life and sprouting green all over. Wife is happy.
 
My shorter palm is definitely alive, I cut all the dead fronds off and there's healthy green growing. My tall palm, well I can't get up there to cut it all back and I don't see any green from the ground. That one might have to come down.

But ...

I have literally dozens of healthy new palm sprouts. The previous homeowners didn't trim anything back and the ground was covered in palm seeds. Guess they decided the snow was their wakeup call? If anyone in the Houston area is interested, I'd be happy to share.
 

Yep, the Texas Killer Cold Snap. All of my citrus died. Nothing coming back. Today, to the sound of chainsaws, it is all gone.

Here is the day after Christmas, 2020


This is right after the snow storm & killer cold.


Dead - The Magnolias and Crepe Myrtles are fine. All Citrus dead.


Orange Trees


Lemons and Grapefruit


Gone, all gone. I'm going to initially add more Crepe Myrtles, maybe some red bud, and maybe put in 4 citrus trees on the side of the house. (Left and behind of picture)

 
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