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Hardy plants are the mainstay of the British garden. We plant them, tend them in spring and summer and then forget about them until the following year, certain that they will make it through our chilly winters of sharp frosts and snow falls. But have you ever wondered how plants survive such conditions?
Many hardy trees and shrubs that withstand low temperatures lose their leaves or, in the case of a number of herbaceous perennials, their top growth dies down in winter. |
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This is a sensible strategy because photosynthesis - a plant's main way of generating energy - can't take place in freezing conditions.
Plants become dormant during these months, reducing their internal functions to a minimum to save energy.
Frost generally poses a greater threat to plants than snow, especially if it comes at an unexpected time - a frost in late April or May, or in early autumn can do untold damage. |
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This is because plants acquire hardiness gradually as temperatures fall in autumn, and then lose hardiness in spring when warm conditions return. Unseasonal weather takes the plant by surprise and can mean that the young foliage of a tough plant such as ivy can be blackened by a late frost in May, despite it having retained healthy green leaves in sub-zero temperatures throughout winter.
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