Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Monday - August 03, 2009

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Pruning, Shrubs
Title: Hail damage to Cenizo in Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

We have some Texas sage Silverado. After the latest hail, they look very sad. If about the half of plant is OK and the other half looks dried/dead?, should we prune the dried half? Are they ever coming back?

ANSWER:

Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas barometer bush) is a tough desert bush, but the weather has really handed it a one-two punch in Austin this year. Considering what hail can do to your car or roof, it's not surprising that the Cenizo looks pretty beat-up. However, after you read these Condition Comments from the webpage on this plant in our Native Plant Database, you may also understand what other problems the plant is experiencing:

"Conditions Comments: According to legend, cenizo tend to bloom in conjunction with rainfall. The ashy appearance of the leaves is due to the millions of tiny hairs covering them. Cenizo is easy to grow so long as it has good drainage. It makes a good screen or hedge. There are many nice color selections and cultivars. Susceptible to cotton root rot. Humidity and high night temperatures are lethal. Cultivated cenizos tend to become leggier with fewer blooms than in nature; tip prune to increase density. Cenizos should not be fertilized or over-watered. Drought- and heat-tolerant."

In particular, note this line from those comments: "Humidity and high night temperatures are lethal." And what have we been having in Austin this summer? Right. 

Before you start pruning anything off, give the dead-looking branches the thumbnail test. Scrape just a very fine layer of the skin off one or two of those branches, some higher, others closer to the roots. If there is a thin layer of green beneath that first coat, the plant is still alive and so are those branches. They are just laying low until Summer blows over. We would certainly suggest some tip pruning, and a little deep watering a couple times a week. Remember, this plant also needs good drainage, so if water is standing after you water it, that's too much. Spread some good quality shredded bark mulch over the root area, which will both hold in moisture and help to keep the roots cool. We predict you will see some recovery when the cool weather and (hopefully!) the rains come in the Fall. 

 

From the Image Gallery


Cenizo
Leucophyllum frutescens

Cenizo
Leucophyllum frutescens

More Pruning Questions

Winter pruning for yucca in Adrian, Michigan
October 11, 2010 - Can I cut yucca plants down for winter months.
view the full question and answer

Existing live oak taking over in Monahans TX
March 22, 2011 - I have just purchased a home with a huge Live Oak tree in the front yard. The previous owners have over the years allowed the sucker roots to grow unchecked. The tree is shading most of the lawn (di...
view the full question and answer

Sprout from a non-native sago palm in Poinciana FL
October 16, 2013 - I have two mature (10 years old)sago palms. One of them sprouted a new "head' at the top of the trunk. It is competing with the original one. It is not a pup coming from the root area. Can I cut it ...
view the full question and answer

Century Plant
April 20, 2013 - I have a century plant that has just begun to bloom. I have a transplanted a few pups, successfully. I am wondering how I am to go about removing the mother plant once it blooms and dies. I'm reading...
view the full question and answer

Will suckering of coralberry be a problem in Homewood AL?
November 11, 2010 - I am considering planting Symphoricarpos orbiculatus in the yard of the home I just purchased. I am interested in attracting wildlife to my yard and covering over a stump with a 3' diameter. My onl...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.