Frost Damage to Landscaping - Ask Extension
Do I need to trim frost damage from a Crepe Myrtle and / or a Holly bush. Both had their new growth damaged/killed by the freeze in Maryland a week ...
Knowledgebase
Frost Damage to Landscaping #929920
Asked April 28, 2026, 2:04 PM EDT
Do I need to trim frost damage from a Crepe Myrtle and / or a Holly bush. Both had their new growth damaged/killed by the freeze in Maryland a week or 2 ago. Wondering what best course of action is for each
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
We received many queries about last week's freeze damage. We suggest waiting to prune, because the live wood which lies just under the bark in the stems/branches/trunks may not have been affected and can still produce new growth points. That process might take a few weeks, but if by late May or so you don't see new growth on some branches or branch tips, then those areas can be pruned back to live growth. If most of a plant died (like a crapemyrtle, for example), you might need to do more severe pruning (as the roots should be fine and capable of sending up new stems) or, at worst, replace the plant. We don't anticipate any plants were lost completely to the freeze, however, although some were more heavily damaged (like the crapemyrtle in your photos) than others.
Miri
Miri
