Question
Last year I planted 3 Sea Grape plants in my yard and they grew wonderfully. I thought they would grow well here in zone 8b because I first saw them growing like weeds in the medians and in rest stops in Southern Florida. Over the winter I heavily mulched the bushes to protect them. It is now the middle of May and still no sign that the Sea Grapes are coming back. Do you think they are dead? Do you think it might be too cold here in the winter for them to survive? I don't have a problem with other tropicals like bird of paradise and plumeria's. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Answer
Its difficult sometimes to have patience with plants that have just gone through a severe Winter, but you really have to take a wait and see attitude, sometimes it can be many months before you will finally see new growth; a good test for you sea grapes is if the stems are still soft and don't just snap off like twigs, the terminal ends may be brittle, but as you move down the stem and it becomes rubbery, then thats a sure sing that they should be alrigt. After new growth does commence, then you can prune of any dead wood. The only way they may have died, is if the ground froze, otherwise there should eventually be new growth from the roots.