Last Updated: January 22, 2017

Down here in the foothills of San Diego its not unusual to see temps dip below freezing on some nights… in February.

Unfortunately, during the last three weeks of autumn almost every night has dipped into the low 30’s (and some nights into the 20’s). Most of my subtropicals can survive a few nights of frosty weather, but not weeks of it. Pretty much everything is now fried.

Fried plant gallery

The Mexican sunflower (Asteraceae Tithonia diversifolia), which was in bloom right up until Thanksgiving, is toast.
A Thai/Cayenne hot pepper patch I can usually keep in the ground year round. Freezing temps have burned them back to the stalk
Even the canna lillies, which grow in a warm area right up against the house are burned. (Good thing the come back quick).
This year the Root Beer Plant (Piper auritum) looked sensational under a big Mexican lime tree. Not so much anymore thanks to the repeated freezes.

Now I’ll just have to whack it all back, mulch and hope an early spring.