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[XDX]

All is well in the world, everyone survived!
that was about 6 hours below freezing, with the low low of 25F
its low 40s now. supposed to drop about the same tonight.
I'm going to leave them out...

pics! i don't see any sign of cold damage, the tips don't look like they are suffering, even on the smallest of them.
oh, and check that block of ice out with the Phalaris, that is real.

1 Like prasada likes this.

[FranxLove]

Q: Do zone 10b cacti and Caapi need to be brought inside in winter because of the frosts?

Thank you.

[ONandONandON]

in same zone .. yes bring caapi inside before it hits the low 40s.
cacti outside in zone 10b survived last year.. couple cold weeks,
smaller seedlings should be kept away from the cold if possible.
some cactus are adapted to cold, some are warm weather cacti.

1 Like FranxLove likes this.

[Chicsa]

Caapi can survive down to the upper 20s... Also a z10b climate should never have frost as the minimum temperature of a 10b climate is 35F well above the frost temp. I'm in a 9b/10a climate, I never bring caapi or cacti in.

[MadPlanter]

I put my psychotria, Kratom, caapi, etc in a greenhouse like barn thing and it can definitely get freezing cold in there briefly a few times each year here. They seem to handle all good. Maybe wilt a bit but spring back by mid day. The iboga, noni, vanilla orchid, Novo, P. horizontalis, and red Borneo Kratom, cuban oregano are lessly tolerant so they come indoors on the coldest nights. My cactus collection does fine from the low 20s°F and up as long as not under open sky. Surprisingly dragon fruit handles well under an overhang too in that cold of weather.

[Otorongo]

Caapi can survive down to the upper 20s... Also a z10b climate should never have frost as the minimum temperature of a 10b climate is 35F well above the frost temp. I'm in a 9b/10a climate, I never bring caapi or cacti in.

It can get frost. USDA zones are determined based on long-term averages. So zone 10b doesn't mean it never gets below 35F, it means the average annual minimum is >= 35F and < 40F.

Also there is ground frost, air frost etc. Official temp readings are taken 2 meters above ground, closer to the ground it generally gets colder. And you may have frost pockets etc.

It looks like my caapi saw its first frost last night, 2 leaves are showing damage. I'm going to twine a soil warming cable around its base and lower stem, put it on a thermostat and fleece the vine soon.

[arborescent]

Wanted to report 3 adult Phalaris brachystachys plants survived 19F/-7.2C with minimal damage aside from some yellowed leaf blade tips. Grown outdoors, and has been slowly creeping below freezing at night the last two weeks or so.

It appears as though my P. aquatica AQ1 has survived mostly unscathed as well.

[Otorongo]

Acacia floribunda: -6C, no damage

Trichocereus peruvianus: -6C, no damage
Trichocereus bridgesii: -6C, no damage
Trichocereus pachanoi - some specimens survived -6C unscathed, some turned partially or completely into mush. Old, thick growth does better. Slug damage and rot seems to be a major factor in their survival

B. caapi - died in a winter that saw -2C. Probably due to the prolonged cold and wetness
P. alba - died in a winter that saw -3C or so

[wanderer]

Zone 7/8 Southeast US here (Atlanta area)
Plants in-ground and unprotected.
Many winter failures, but a couple of nice surprises:
Salvia divinorum usually regrows from the base in spring.
Acacia floribunda does well and is already flowering @ 2 years old.

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[RatsboggleBiological]

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[MadPlanter]

Could be too early to tell but it appears that so far at least my Kratom tree of around 7ft tall survived around 22°f only tucked back under the porch. Obviously the microclimated position under the porch may have been warmer by several degrees. However leaves not yet wilted and otherwise has not defoliated either. Would be awesome if in fact it remains that way after a few days. Will update if not.

[MadPlanter]

Few other entries here.

Heimia salicifolia completely unscathed after completely exposed to the open sky on a 22°f night. In fact survived unscathed lower than that before around 18-19°f.

Some tropicals that freeze back but return in spring in our average zone 8b-9a winters are:
Sisso spinach completely unprotected
Longevity and Okinawa Spinach lightly or completely unprotected
Talinum species waterleaf and jewels of opar completely unprotected
Chaya lightly or completely unprotected
Cassava lightly or completely unprotected
Bananas completely unprotected
Sugarcane completely unprotected
Katuk completely unprotected
Sweet potato completely unprotected
Pineapple considerably protected
Thai guava completely unprotected
Strawberry guava lightly microclimated under porch
Ginger/turmeric family completely unprotected so long as not allowed to be soggy wet during these winter temps
Canna edulis completely unprotected
True arrowroot completely unprotected
Mexican sunflower lightly or completely unprotected Glycomis pentaphilla lightly protected

1 Like ONandONandON likes this.

[Otorongo]

To add to the acacia data:

Zone 9, -4C (25F) being last winter's minimum

Acacia retinodes - no damage
Acacia maidenii - was under horticultural fleece during the cold spell. Most leaves browned, some green remains. It has yet to resprout (or show it's not meant to)

The floribunda and baileyana (blue-ish, not purple) are fine yet again.

More tropicals that made it:
- Avocado (probably Hass) - was under fleece; topmost leaves browned; no stem damage
- Strawberry guava - under fleece during the cold spell; not only fine, but retained the fruit, which is ripening now
- Lemon guava - under fleece during the cold spell; minimal damage (leaf discoloration, but no necrosis)
- Citrus:
  * sudachi - no damage and retained its fruit, which is continuing to ripen
  * yuzu - no damage
  * calamondin - peripheral leaf damage, 95% ok
  * Citrus aurantium - ok
  * Meyer lemon - ok

[Greentoe]

Acacia maidenii can't remember the specific temperature but it remained below freezing for over 24 hours. This happened two years ago. I thought the plant was done. Ended up pulling down a dead tree. It broke off a couple inches above the roots. Next spring it started sprouting back from the roots.

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[NWFLArenegade]

I’m in zone 8b. Winter before last we got down to 17 degrees for a low and temps never climbed above freezing for a week. I was surprised by what didn’t come back but, equally surprised by what did. A friend down the road a bit had a kratom in ground (don’t know the variety) that died to the ground but resprouted in the spring. Justicia pectoralis took a beating but is doing fine as well.

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