What the cold snap means for Vancouver's exotic plants

When the city's winter cold spell finally ends, Vancouverites will be ready to rejoice over their clear sidewalks and balmy spring temperaturs.

But for the city's gardeners, it'll be time to survey the damage.

The extended cold snap could prove troublesome for exotic plants says Master Gardener Brian Minter. 

"An overnight cold is okay, it warms up and rains again — but when we have an extended period, that's where the frost keeps penetrating in and starts causing some problems," he said.

The Lower Mainland's mild winters have generally made it an ideal destination for exotic plants that can't grow amid the usual frigid winters endured by the rest of Canada. Palms, banana trees and vibrant rhododendrons are some of the local favourites that are native to warmer climates and can thrive in Metro Vancouver.

But Minter fears that after years of mild winters, gardeners have gotten a little less cautious. Fortunately, he says there's still time to do some damage control.

Palm trees

There's good news for those who appreciate English Bay's beachside dutch windmill palm trees. Their underground roots are somewhat insulated from the cold so any damage should be minimal.

But if you're a gardener who has similar palm trees kept in containers or pots, you might not be so lucky.

"Any exposure to the frost in the roots is going to be the biggest challenge."

If you haven't already, protect the roots of the palm with a frost blanket, and cover the crown as well.

Wait until the cold weather has subsided before you begin trimming brown fronds because they can help insulate the tree in the meantime.

Banana trees

Banana trees will also take a hit during the cold snap — but the damage is far from permanent.

"For banana trees, particularly the green varieties, all you have to do at this point is cut the leaves off that are frozen and drooping down right now. Usually the stem will be okay," said Minter.

Banana trees should also be winterized if they haven't been already in case there's another surge of cold weather.

Rhodos

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Rhodos are known for their vibrant colours. But if the plant is frozen, you'll notice that the leaves tend to droop.

"That's a protective measure the plant does, it just shows its frozen," said Minter. "And rehydrating will bring them back up... once it thaws out, it will be fine"

In fact, the sun might be doing more damage to the plants than the cold.

"The sun will burn the leaves, and we've had good sun this winter," he said. "Those leaves will be falling off and replaced with new ones."

But the plants are resilient.

"In Vancouver, virtually any rhodo will be absolutely fine with the amount of cold we've had."