I'm a VERY new gardener and absolutely LOVE my salvias. The salvia plot at the moment looks completely dead, but we've had a freak freeze for about a week now, and before that a freak snowstorm that made Wetumpka, AL (central AL) look like the Colorado mountains. The weight of the wet snow, the length of time it stuck around, and this sub-zero blast over the past week... will these salvias survive and come back?

I did not cut the dead stems down or anything as there are certain insects that are known to overwinter around dead stems (like Bee balm.. that fared far better in the snow and cold).

I guess I just want to know if they likely survived or not, and if they need pruning and when would be the best time? I really want these plants to survive. I planted them for the hummingbirds we get here.

Thanks tons in advance.

@SummerShaddow When were these planted (i.e. were they well established?)? Do you know what species?

If they weren't recently planted you are probably good to go (depending on species, I'd assume). I had several last year and we got a "shock freeze" down to 19. All my Salvia (Greggii and Lyrata) came back and were wonderful - bloomed even better this year.

I do cut mine down to about 6" late in the winter. For me, that will probably be mid-late Feb (depending on when we get a nice day ).

Some of the other more experienced folks can tag on if I've misspoken.

There are so many salvias... that there is no one correct way to treat them all.
The safest approach is to leave them alone. I have a nice patch of salvia coccinea that often returns from last year's plant... and even when It doesn't, I still get lots of babies from last year's plants.

People that insist on a tidy garden... Never get returns of salvia coccinea.

salvia microphylla on the other hand... Is very forgiving... You can do anything you like to it...

and... Salvia guaranitica is also pretty bullet-proof.

But there are so many different salvias, many varieties that I haven't even tried yet...

There are salvias that are annuals, and additional perennial salvias that can not be disturbed... as well as varieties that simply aren't winter hardy here ever.