Perennials: Spring Snow

Here in Minnesota, we never know what Mother Nature will bring us throughout the year. We almost hit 70F in February, and now at the end of April, we woke up to a dusting of snow that lightly covered our awakening perennials. I guess the weather is one thing that keeps Minnesotans on their toes. But, drastic change in temperatures can also cause a gardener angst.

There is hardly a year that goes by that Minnesotans don’t see a spring snowfall. Just a few years ago we had snow after what was supposed to be our last frost date (early May for central MN). When spring snowfalls happen, I’m always sure to receive a phone call from a client or two asking what they should do to protect their emerging perennials, or if I think their plants will be okay. Good news! Perennials are tough little buggers. They want to survive. And, if perennials are considered hardy in the zone they are planted in, spring bloomers should be a-okay.

Should you cover plants if a freeze or a snow is expected in the spring? It depends! The perennials that bloom in the spring, such as daffodils, tulips, magnolias, hyacinths, and the like are cold-tolerant and can handle a light freeze and even snow without being covered. If you have plants that have already leafed out and tend to be a little more touchy to freezing temperatures, such as hosta, you may want to cover them with a light sheet. Now, if you’ve gone to a garden center (where many of the plants they sell are blooming ahead of time due to being grown in a greenhouse) and have just planted a perennial that is blooming ahead of time of it’s usual time, those blooms can be a little more fragile in freezing temperatures, and you will probably want to cover them. This is especially important if your perennial is a fruit or vegetable plant. Blooms on fruit and vegetable plants tend to be touchy to freezing temps, and if the blooms die off, this could ultimately prohibit any kind of fruiting later in the growing season.

For the most part, early blooming perennials will be just fine in cold temperatures and snow, as long as they are planted in the correct zone. If you wake up to a late spring snowfall, don’t fret, but head outside and take a moment to discover how beautiful your spring flowers look with a little snow dusting their delicate petals. A definite treat to the eyes!