freeze damaged tree

Question

We had a hard freeze here in Houston, Texas – zone 9. I trimmed the tree, but all the leaves are falling off of the tree, and what is left of the leaves are turning yellow and falling. I would assume it is dead, and that I probably need to plant another tree.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Your tree might still be alive, even if it loses all its leaves. It is difficult to tell how severe freeze damage is until the following spring. Your best option is to wait until next spring and see whether the tree puts out leaves again.

If leaves grow on some parts of the tree but not others, and it's clear that some branches are dead, you can prune off the dead branches. Here is how to tell whether a tree is completely dead:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/tree-scratch-test.htm