Protecting your plants through an Austin freeze.
Winter Storm Uri taught every Austin plant owner something they’d rather have learned differently. Austin freezes are infrequent but severe — and most tropical houseplants are genuinely vulnerable when temperatures drop below 35°F near windows.
Before the freeze — what to do now
The best time to prepare for an Austin freeze is well before the weather alert. Most damage happens in the 24 hours before people realize how cold it will get.
- Move all plants away from exterior windows — glass conducts cold dramatically. Move plants at least 3–4 feet from any exterior wall or window
- Move plants away from exterior doors — the draft from an exterior door is enough to stress cold-sensitive plants
- Group plants in an interior room — plants create warmth together, and interior rooms stay warmer during power outages
- Water plants thoroughly before the freeze — hydrated plants handle cold stress better. Moist soil also retains heat better than dry soil
Tropical plants with thin leaves: Monstera, Calathea, Pothos, Philodendron, Peace Lily, Fiddle Leaf Fig. Move these first. Snake plants and ZZ plants handle brief cold better.
During the freeze — when the power goes out
If Austin loses power during a freeze, your plants face both cold temperatures and loss of heating.
- Bring all plants to an interior bathroom — least exterior wall exposure, retains heat longest
- Use thermal blankets or towels — loosely wrap pots and lower stems. Don’t wrap foliage tightly — it needs air circulation
- Keep plants off cold floors — elevate pots on chairs or shelves. Cold radiates up from floors during a freeze
- Don’t water during the freeze — wet soil in cold temperatures accelerates root damage. Wait until temperatures recover
After the freeze — the patient part
Cold damage doesn’t always show immediately. Leaves may look fine for 24–48 hours before turning soft and dark as cell walls that burst during freezing begin to fail.
- Wait 2 weeks before pruning — what looks dead may not be. Many plants push new growth from the base even when foliage is damaged
- Don’t fertilize for 4–6 weeks — wait until you see active new growth before resuming
- Check the roots — if foliage is severely damaged, unpot and look at roots. White/tan, firm = can recover. Black, mushy = root rot has set in
Keep Austin Watered’s 30-day replacement guarantee covers freeze damage on plants we supply and actively maintain. If your plants die during a freeze you prepared for, we replace them.
Austin freeze prep checklist
When a freeze warning is issued for Austin, run through this list:
- Move all tropical plants away from exterior windows and walls (3+ feet)
- Move plants away from exterior doors
- Water all plants thoroughly the day before
- Group plants in your warmest interior room
- Elevate pots off floors
- Have thermal blankets or old towels ready for pots
- Know which plants are most cold-sensitive: Monstera, Calathea, Pothos first
Austin freezes are unpredictable but survivable with preparation. The plants that die in Austin winters are almost always the ones still sitting next to windows when temperatures dropped below 28°F.
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Watch: Why Big Box Store Plants Die — Will Burke repots a fresh purchase (video)