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Gardening in the UK

Frost damage to jasmine

21 years ago

I have a summer jasmine growing against a south facing wall. It has been there for four years or so and has grown quite large. This year it has suffered frost damage (I think). The leaves have gone brown and shrivelled, although the stems are still green. Quite frankly, it looks a mess. I am tempted to cut it back hard but don't really know if this is the right thing (or time) to do. Am I going to kill it? Help!!

Featured Answer

deeds1

21 years ago

Cut it back as hard as you like, they are tough as old boots.

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Comments (6)

Pond
Original Author
21 years ago
Thanks. I had a better look at it today, and in the leaf axils of all the brown leaves are new ones forming. Isn't nature brilliant!
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vetivert8
21 years ago
Have your frosts finished for the season? If you're expecting a few more hard ones it may pay to leave some of the untidiness as a shelter for the new shoots.
Pond
Original Author
21 years ago
We don't normally get frosts at all, living on the south coast. I don't think we'll get another one this year. Night time temps are up to 8 or 9.
Suiko
21 years ago
Jasmine doesn't mind frost at all! Mine has survived fairly regular temperatures of minus 10.. Obviously, from what you say, on the coast it often doesn't lose its leaves at all, but mine loses all of them around Xmas time and grows new ones in May.
alcina
21 years ago
Ah...this is good news for me too! I bought a jasmine in Homebase in a sale (2 quid!) - I think it was potted up for indoor use, but I decided to put it in the garden. There was definitely Spring in the air when I planted it...then we had a month of The Big Freeze, broken only this week! The jasmine had a baptism of fire going from a warm, dark point-of-sale position by the tills to my frozen garden, but it did ok...until one night a couple of weeks ago :( The same night did my arum lillies in too :( The stems are still green and pliable so I'm holding out hope! :)

Alcina

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