I was surprised to see many new leaves beginning on my Rose Of Sharons at around 1/15/23…..just looked at my two mature Muskogee Crape Myrtles and I'll be darned, many branches with new leaves starting and it's only 1/25/23! Aren't these pretty early? Forgot to mention, in North Houston.

Yeah that sounds early. Typical Texas weather. If it's warm in winter for too long it prods plants into budding early. It's happened before, then another frost might hurt stuff. That's why I HATE Texas winters and I'm very pessimistic about them.

Heard the first music of spring this morning. Geese or cranes flying north. Big V formation. Probably had 60-75 birds in it. Flying pretty low and it wasn't windy, so the singing could be heard from a long way off. I just waited 'til they came overhead. I love that sound. It was hovering at just above freezing when they came. Flying into some cold weather instead of away from it. It snowed not too far north of me yesterday.

Thanks folks, I can frost cover the Rose of Sharons, but the crapes are both 20+ feet tall. Fingers crossed.

My Rose of Sharon is covered in new growth, too. It's too tall to cover if freeze comes.

Alas, the ambitious sprouts were misled. Spring is NOT here.