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Like a very large portion of the U.S. winter here was horrible. Last I checked it was the 12th coldest winter on record here. I lost my horse crippler cactus, 2 yucca rostratas, 3 hesperaloe parvifloras, echinocereus reichenbachi var caspitosas, maybe my musa basjoo, maybe my crepe myrtle dynamite. We started to dig up the musa basjoo a few days ago but found a whitish bulb. We decided to leave it till June to see what happens.

A. Parryi did fine except I let snow fall on it in March and it injured the leaves. Frozen moisture apparently is like kryptonite for agaves. How do they survive in El Paso?
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... b.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... 98115b.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo parryi_zpsf898115b.jpg"/></a>

planted this a harvardiana this spring but again snow fell on it and made a mess out of it. Still alive fortunately
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... b.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... b1272b.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Harvardiana_zps49b1272b.jpg"/></a>

All that's left of my yucca elata:
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... 9be3fe.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Elata_zpsd69be3fe.jpg"/></a>

This e. reichenbachii v. caespitosis survived uncovered. I had one just like it that I covered and it rotted. Go figure.
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... 7.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... 804457.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo caespitosa_zps6f804457.jpg"/></a>

This E. triglochidiatus survived (I think) unprotected
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... 1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... adc2c1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo claretcup_zps57adc2c1.jpg"/></a>

Y faxoniana survived covered:
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... 4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... 318894.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Faxoniana_zpse8318894.jpg"/></a>

My yucca gloriosa survived but I covered it with leaves and a tarp when it got below zero F
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... 3d658a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Gloriosa_zps833d658a.jpg"/></a>

Holly Castle Spires did not do too well this winter:
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... 147e2f.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Holly_zpse6147e2f.jpg"/></a>

My Brackens Brown Beauty southern magnolia lost a lot of leaves but almost all its buds are starting to grow:
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... 162b8d.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo BBbud_zpsab162b8d.jpg"/></a>

My Edith Bogue southern mag lost much fewer leaves and its buds are growing nicely. I think I would have been the most disappointed if my southern mags had died.
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... 5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... 0fdae5.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo EBwhole_zps2f0fdae5.jpg"/></a>

EB southern mag bud:
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... 58b2fc.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo EBbud_zpsf558b2fc.jpg"/></a>

I'm super excited that my mimosa is budding out. It had dieback on the thinner branches. I thought it was killed to the ground but I looked today and it is sprouting on braches that are above my head. I know people think they are trash trees but I love them.
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... 6abf5e.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Mimosa_zpsb66abf5e.jpg"/></a>

My crepe myrtle pink velour was covered in a large mound of black mulch. Snow cover probably helped too. It's sprouting from below the mulch line.
<a href="http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/Sprin ... 4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... 897214.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo CMpinkvelour_zps06897214.jpg"/></a>


This winter was quite the test of hardiness here. I'm kinda bummed the banana hasn't showed itself. Hoping it show up soon.

Jeff, glad your mags are alive.
The huge snowcover probably helped too, keeping roots from croaking.
So sad the y.rostratas are gone.
My elata I think is stone dead, with only having had 1 inverted plastic garbage can on it, and 2 C-9 lights. Obviously not enoiugh...dammit.

Impressed with the parryi and faxoniana.

May this be the last bad winter in the next 20 years.

Barb

Cold wet spring this year didn't help either...nice collection.

My big agave got rained on this spring and rotted.

lucky1 wrote:
May this be the last bad winter in the next 20 years.

Barb

Cheers to that!

I should mention that snow was able to get inside the totes where the rostratas were protected as well as the hesperaloes. The faxoniana and parryi were completely covered by plastic totes. There were only small holes drilled in the sides to let air in and out. It probably heated up a bit in there during the day too. Although I don't remember seeing the sun from December through February.

DesertZone wrote:My big agave got rained on this spring and rotted.

I didn't realize just rain could do that.
Which agave? Parryi?

hardyjim wrote:Cold wet spring this year didn't help either...nice collection.

Thanks Jim! You picked a great winter to go to AZ! I enjoyed the pics!

Thx


I wish I would have stayed a few more weeks...
still looked pretty bleak here until the last week or so.

Jim,
has that computer cord arrived yet?
Must've ordered it from Canada...it's taking so long to get new photos.

Barb

Bravo, Barb!!!

lucky1 wrote:Jim,
has that computer cord arrived yet?
Must've ordered it from Canada...it's taking so long to get new photos.

Barb

I posted here...

Thought you said you had tons more pics...when the cord arrives.