Last month’s arctic blast brought unusually frigid temperatures to Florida. We experienced three consecutive nights in the low 20s, with a low near 18 degrees. Many of our outdoor plants aren’t built for that kind of sustained cold—over three winters here we’d only seen one other dip near freezing and it recovered quickly. Locals called this a “once-in-a-century event,” so it became the ultimate test of our landscape preparedness. Below are the practical steps we took to protect our plants, with notes on what worked best and what was hit-or-miss.
Before you focus on plants, remember there are more critical priorities during extreme cold: people, pets, and pipes. Plants are often the next item on the checklist. Because we’ve invested time and money into our landscaping, we decided to try to save as much as we could. A little effort up front can avoid the cost and labor of replanting later.
Tip 1: Identify Plants Vulnerable To Freezing
Start by figuring out which of your plants are least likely to survive the forecasted temperatures. While many plants are chosen for your growing zone, an unusually long hard freeze changes the equation. We looked up cold tolerance for each plant species to prioritize protection. This helped us decide that some species—like saw palmettos—could probably handle it, while others—like foxtail ferns—needed help.
If you don’t know the name of a plant, many phone camera apps or plant ID apps can help you identify it quickly so you can research its hardiness.
Tip 2: Bring Plants Inside, If Possible
The most reliable protection is to bring vulnerable potted plants inside where it’s warm. This is often impractical for in-ground specimens or very large pots, but small-to-medium containers and hanging planters are good candidates for moving indoors. We shuffled a huge number of pots into less-used rooms, placing tarps underneath to protect floors from dirt and drainage. It was inconvenient, especially during the holidays, but it was the only method that delivered a 100% survival rate for those plants.
If you can’t bring plants into a heated room, move them to a protected location such as a garage, basement, or attic. Potted plants are especially vulnerable because their root systems in containers are less insulated than those in the ground.
Moving plants inside likely saved us hundreds of dollars in replacements. Even large specimens that required a dolly were worth the effort.
Getting pots out of the wind also reduces heat loss, so even shielding them can help.
Tip 3: Add Pine Straw Or Mulch
For plants that must stay outside, add a thick layer of mulch—pine straw or similar—around the base. Mulch traps insulating air around the roots and helps retain moisture; wet soil holds more heat than dry soil, so watering before a freeze can improve insulation. Applying fresh mulch took a bit of work, but it provided meaningful protection, especially for beds that were mulched earlier.
Tip 4: Cover Plants With Breathable Fabric
Covering plants with a breathable fabric traps heat rising from the soil and plant, similar to how a blanket keeps you warm. Use fabric like spare sheets, blankets, or purpose-made frost cloth. Avoid plastic; it can trap moisture against foliage and worsen freeze damage.
Use breathable fabric, not plastic
Breathable fabric maintains airflow and prevents moisture buildup. Sheets, frost blankets, or landscape fabric are preferable to plastic drop cloths.
Make sure covers reach the ground
Let covers drape to the soil on all sides so the trapped warmth from the ground is retained. Secure the edges with stakes, pins, or heavy objects to prevent wind from lifting the fabric.
Tip 5: Add An Ambient Heat Source
You can boost the warmth under covers with a modest heat source. Old incandescent Christmas lights, especially larger C9 bulbs, give off enough heat to raise temperatures slightly under a cover; LEDs do not produce meaningful warmth. Be cautious not to overload circuits. Other methods people use include warm water-filled containers, though these require more attention.
How Did Our Plants Fare?
Despite our precautions, many tropicals suffered from the prolonged hard freeze. Results were mixed: some covered plants looked pristine, others wilted. The only guaranteed success was bringing pots indoors. Some plants that appeared dead may still recover from roots and stems; regrowth can take weeks. Location and wind exposure seemed to play a big role—plants sheltered by fences or corners fared better than exposed specimens.
Examples: one lime tree survived with green foliage while another nearby lost fruit and browned out; a small, recently planted fiddle leaf fig came through unscathed while larger, older ones looked worse. Early signs of regrowth on some plants give us hope, but final assessment will have to wait until spring.
What’s The Good News?
A brown or limp leaf doesn’t always mean the whole plant is dead. Many plants shed damaged foliage and regrow from healthy roots or stems once temperatures stabilize. We’ve already seen signs of life in several plants a few weeks after the freeze, which suggests recovery is possible for many of them.
Tip 6: Don’t Prune Right Away
Resist the urge to prune immediately. Wait until new growth appears so you can clearly distinguish between dead and living tissue. Premature pruning can remove healthy material, reduce insulation provided by dead leaves, and trigger vulnerable new growth that could be damaged by late frosts. Remove only obviously mushy or rotting material to prevent disease; otherwise, let nature determine what is salvageable.
Overall, our strategy was to protect what we could, observe, and be patient. We’ll reassess in spring and replace only what’s truly lost. For now, keeping plants shaded from wind, mulched, and covered when needed—plus bringing vulnerable pots inside—proved to be the most effective measures.
Additional Freezing Weather Preparation
Beyond plants, prepare other outdoor systems that are vulnerable to cold. We took steps to protect our pipes and outdoor plumbing, including outdoor showers, and kept the heat on to reduce the risk of freezing. Small preventative measures can avoid costly repairs after an extreme cold event.
If you’re preparing for a freeze, prioritize people and pets first, then pipes, and then plants. And if you do protect plants, focus on identification, insulation, breathable covers, strategic heat sources, and patient post-freeze care.
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