Lakeland Horticulturist Stacy Smith has a simple message for residents worried about brown leaves or drooping plants after several nights of sub-freezing temperatures: Don’t panic.
“I know a lot of people will have some brown trees and plants at home,” Smith told city commissioners Monday. “They’re changing color right now, as we speak. If the leaves start to fall off of the plants, that’s a good sign. That means the plant is actually trying to heal itself.”
Smith said residents should resist the urge to immediately prune or replace plants that appear damaged. Leaf drop, he explained, is often part of a plant’s natural recovery process after cold stress…