NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After record-cold temperatures, some bushes and trees were damaged by frost.
Kids love the sights and sounds at the Nashville Zoo, and it's easy to admire the canopy and lush landscaping. But recently, it's been struggling.
"If all your leaves are off, even if it’s in dormancy, does not mean it’s dead," said Rob Kraker, of Davey Tree Expert Company.
As an arborist, he was called out to see how their plants were impacted by cold temperatures at the zoo.
"The temperatures dropped very quickly overnight, and basically all the fluids inside the leaves froze, and so we’re getting a lot of defoliation. We’re getting a lot of die back," Kraker said.
While with family at the zoo, Thomas Mata stopped by to say his holly trees at home look rough.
"It’s severe, we walk out on the front porch and the leaves — we know it’s taken some serious hits," Mata said.
He wonders if they're dead.
"All of the leaves are coming off, we think that we’re going to have to replace it because I don’t see how it’s ever going to come back," Mata said.
But Rob said don't get the sheers out yet.
"A lot of the larger evergreens the hollies, things like that, or magnolias, they were a little bit larger thicker bark. They were able to protect themselves from it," Kraker said.
To find out if shrubs are still alive, you can do a scratch test.
"You just scratch that underside of the bark, and you should have supple green tissue," Kraker said. "It might survive, even if the leaves are black or discolored.
It's best to call an expert when in doubt. You can contact Rob here.
