If you're staring at brown, crispy plants in your Sugar Land yard right now, your first instinct is probably to grab the pruners and start cleaning up. Don't do it yet. Cutting back freeze-damaged plants too early is the number one post-freeze mistake we see in Fort Bend County—and it costs homeowners hundreds (sometimes thousands) in unnecessary plant replacements. Many plants that look 100% dead right now will sprout brand new growth from the base in late February or March. Mark your calendar: February 14th is your pruning date. Until then, those "dead" leaves are actually protecting the living core of your plant. Plants like esperanza, plumbago, and Mexican heather are master "possum players"—they look like graveyard plants but come roaring back from the roots once soil temperatures warm up. Patience now = money saved later.