How to Protect Tropical Plants from Cold in Florida (Without Freaking Out)

Florida may be tropical, but winter cold snaps still happen — and your landscape’s lush, colorful tropical plants aren’t fans of freezing temps.

Whether it dips into the 40s or you're facing a true frost, knowing how to protect tropical plants in Florida is key to keeping your landscape healthy and beautiful year-round.

No need for space heaters or panic pruning — just a few smart seasonal care tips can make all the difference.

Let’s break down what to do before, during, and after a cold snap to keep your tropical oasis safe.

Quick Checklist: How to Protect Tropical Plants from Cold in Florida

• Don’t prune tropical plants in late fall — new growth is more sensitive to cold

• Cover tender plants during frost warnings (especially annuals and crotons)

• Leave damaged palm fronds until spring growth returns

• Water soil before a freeze to help it retain heat overnight

• Avoid late-season fertilizing — it can trigger cold-sensitive new growth

• Apply copper fungicide to palms with cold damage to prevent infection

• Invest in year-round plant health care to improve cold tolerance

1. Don’t Panic — Most Florida Plants Bounce Back from Cold

The good news is, most of our plant material will do just fine in a sudden cold snap. 

But if you moved here from a northern state, where plants turn black and need a eulogy when hit by hard frost, you might freak out if you see your precious palm fronds turn brown or — gasp — your fantastic foliaged crotons suddenly give a big shiver and drop all their leaves. (It’s scary. More on this in a bit.)

2. Why Tropical Plants Struggle with Sudden Cold Snaps

Plants adjust to temperature changes gradually, over time. A sudden freeze after a period of warm weather often does more damage to plants than a freeze during a period of cold weather.

It’s startling. They hate it. Kind of like you flying to Michigan in December and strolling out of the toasty airport terminal into a frigid blast. If you had leaves, you’d drop them, too. 

How to care for tropical plants in winter?

3. When (and When Not) to Prune Tropical Plants

This really matters. 

If you prune your tropical plants in late summer or early fall, they’re more susceptible to the cold. Pruning causes a spurt of tender new growth that’s more susceptible to cold injury.

If you have an ixora hedge (lucky you) that’s 4 feet tall and you want to prune it down to 2 feet, do it well before winter. 

Bougainvillea? That’s another beauty. But it has to be pruned no later than the end of September. Then, don’t go near it with pruners again until April.

Hibiscus can only be pruned  in early fall or spring. 

Crape Myrtle? No pruning until March. And please, no “crape murder” — it really is a crime. Too many gorgeous crape Myrtle trees are viciously hacked down by several feet in the name of pruning, turning beautiful trunks into thick, ugly stubs. Don’t. Do. It. 

4. Cover Your Plants: Simple Frost Protection Tips

This is a no brainer, right? Just like you reach for a cozy blanket when the temperature dips, your annual plants appreciate a cozy cover, too. 

Protect those tender petunias and begonias if we’re expecting a hard freeze. 

5. Why Palm Fronds Turn Brown After a Cold Snap

Everybody knows palm fronds should be a beautiful leafy green. So when cold weather strikes and they suddenly turn brown, it’s alarming. 

Here’s a weird thing: Christmas palms, despite their name, don’t like cold. A cold snap can definitely cause their fronds to turn brown. 

Note to whoever named this palm: What the heck? Why not call it Easter palm? Or July 4th palm? Or any other holiday except the coldest one palm? 

If your palm fronds turn brown after a cold snap, be patient. Don’t rush out with pruners to remove them right away.

Take a close look. If a portion of a frond is still green, leave it on the plant as long as possible.

That green part will help with the photosynthesis needed for new growth.

Palms usually start their growing season after other shrubs and trees begin their spring growth flushes. Wait for the affected palm to produce new growth, and definitely don’t remove the brown fronds if there’s still a chance of another freeze.

6. Treat Cold-Damaged Palms with Copper Fungicide

When a palm suffers from cold damage it’s susceptible to bacteria or fungal infections. Treating it with a copper fungicide can help prevent that. 

7. What to Do When Crotons Drop Their Leaves

Yes, crotons can drop all their magnificent leaves if they get too cold. It’s scary. And sad. And makes you want to run outside with a glue gun or duct tape to frantically try to paste them back on.

Don’t worry — they’ll grow back. But you have to be patient.

Remember, winter isn’t our growing season. By March you should see signs they’re bouncing back. Those fantastic yellow, orange and red leaves will be back by April. 

8. Cut Back Heliconia Before a Cold Snap

Heliconia, that rainforest beauty with the stunning red bracts, really hates the cold. Even more than your neighbor who wears two turtlenecks and a parka when it dips below 70.

How to care for tropical plants in winter? Do your heliconia a favor and cut it back to the ground before a winter cold snap. 

It’ll come back, all happy again, in the spring. 

9. How Proper Watering Helps Plants Survive Cold Weather 

Here’s a cool sciencey fact: Watering landscape plants before a freeze can help protect them.

How? Wet soil will absorb more heat during the day and radiate it during the night. The key is watering early in the day before the expected cold snap, so that wet soil has a chance to soak up heat from the day. 

10. Time Fertilization Right to Avoid Cold Damage

How to care for tropical plants in winter? Take good care of them year round. Healthy, well-nourished plants will tolerate cold temperatures better and recover from injury faster. So don’t neglect fertilizing. 

Timing is important, though —  if you fertilize too late in the fall, the feeding can cause a late flush of tender new growth that’s more susceptible to cold injury.

11. Healthy Plants = More Cold Tolerance

Keep your tropical plants as healthy as possible. Plants weakened by disease or hungry bugs are less likely to survive a cold snap. 

Invest in comprehensive Sarasota plant health care services, and Tropical Gardens plant experts will keep your hungry plants fertilized and monitor and treat them for any diseases or insect infestations.

Whether or not to use those leaf-shaped mittens is up to you. 

Want to Keep Your Tropical Plants Healthy Year-Round?

It’s tough to think of your precious tropical plants out there shivering in the unexpected cold. 

Chances are, they’ll be fine. But you can do your part by making sure they’re healthy enough to survive the trauma.

That means proper pruning, regular fertilizing, and keeping a vigilant eye out for pests and diseases. 

If that sounds like a lot of work, you’re right. But we love this stuff.