Winter is arriving in Central Texas, and it's time to prepare your garden for freezing temperatures, shorter days, and the seasonal changes ahead. In this episode of the ATXGardens Podcast, Colleen explains what USDA plant hardiness zones actually mean, why Austin's Zone 9 designation can be misleading, and how to determine which plants need protection during a freeze.
You'll also learn which trees and shrubs you can still plant, when to stop planting perennials and cool-season vegetables, how to care for fruit trees, and why winter watering is so important. Plus, Colleen shares upcoming gardening events, tips for identifying bluebonnet seedlings, and ways to help protect the Big Bend region.
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❄️ Understanding Winter in Central Texas
Winter in Austin looks a little different from winter in other parts of the country. While temperatures are generally mild, Central Texas still experiences occasional freezes, ice storms, and periods of extreme cold.
Colleen considers Austin's winter season to run roughly from Thanksgiving through the end of February.
With Austin's average first freeze occurring around December 1, now is the time to prepare your landscape for temperatures of 32°F or below.
But does every plant need to be covered?
Not necessarily! Many established Texas native plants can tolerate our typical winter temperatures without protection.
Instead of covering everything, focus on understanding which plants are cold-hardy and which may need extra care during freezing weather.
🌡️ What Do USDA Plant Hardiness Zones Actually Mean?
One of the biggest misconceptions about gardening in Central Texas involves the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Austin was previously classified as Zone 8 but is now designated Zone 9. However, that doesn't mean every plant labeled Zone 9 will thrive in your garden.
How USDA Hardiness Zones Work
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone system is based on an area's average annual extreme minimum winter temperature over many years.
It's important to understand that hardiness zones:
Measure winter cold tolerance, not summer heat tolerance.
Don't account for rainfall, soil conditions, or other growing requirements.
Are primarily useful for choosing plants that live for multiple years, including trees, shrubs, and perennials.
Don't guarantee that a plant will survive an unusually severe freeze.
Why Colleen Still Recommends Zone 8 Plants
Despite Austin's updated Zone 9 classification, recent winters have brought unusually severe cold, including Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 and other damaging freezes.
Because of these extreme weather events, Colleen still prefers choosing plants that are hardy to Zone 8 whenever possible.
Her recommendation: Don't rely solely on a plant's USDA hardiness zone when deciding whether it belongs in your Central Texas landscape.
Native Central Texas plants are often a great choice because they're already adapted to the region's rainfall, summer heat, and typical winter temperatures.
You can research your location and individual plants using the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, linked in the resources below.
🌳 Keep Planting Most Trees & Shrubs
Late November is still an excellent time to plant and transplant many trees, shrubs, and woody vines in Central Texas.
Most cold-hardy woody plants can be planted throughout winter because they're dormant and not actively growing.
Examples include:
Oak trees
Persimmons
Texas mountain laurels
Desert willows
Hollies
Apple trees
Pear trees
Which Trees Should Wait Until Spring?
Some trees and shrubs are more vulnerable to freezing temperatures when newly planted.
Colleen recommends waiting until March to plant cold-sensitive woody plants such as:
Fig trees
Pomegranate trees
Loquat trees
Other sensitive Mediterranean or tropical woody plants
If you already have these plants in containers, consider keeping them potted through winter so you can move them into a protected location when freezing temperatures are expected.
Don't Prune or Fertilize Yet
Continue avoiding pruning on trees, shrubs, and woody vines.
Pruning can stimulate tender new growth at exactly the time plants need to slow down and prepare for winter.
Skip the fertilizer for the same reason. You don't want to encourage new growth heading into freezing weather.
🍂 Leave the Leaves—But Not Everywhere
Fallen leaves are a valuable resource for your Central Texas garden!
Instead of removing every leaf from your landscape, use them as natural mulch around trees and shrubs.
A layer of approximately three inches of leaves can help protect the soil and provide organic matter.
However, make sure large leaves aren't smothering smaller shade-loving plants such as:
Columbines
Cedar sage
Lyreleaf sage
Sedges
You can also use this time to remove unwanted woody plants, including chinaberry, ligustrum, and nandina, as they enter winter dormancy.
🍎 Late November Fruit Tree Care
First things first: stop fertilizing your fruit trees, especially citrus.
The goal now is to encourage trees to slow their growth and prepare for winter rather than producing tender new growth that can be damaged by cold temperatures.
Protect Fruit Trees From Fungal Diseases
Once apples, pears, quince, peaches, nectarines, and plums have dropped most of their leaves, it may be time for a dormant-season treatment to help manage fungal diseases.
Colleen discusses options including:
Copper fungicide
Lime sulfur
Bordeaux mix
She personally uses copper on her plum trees because it can also help manage certain bacterial diseases, including fire blight.
Always follow product labels and confirm that a treatment is appropriate for your particular fruit tree.
Should You Paint Fruit Tree Trunks White?
You may have seen fruit trees with their trunks painted white. There's a reason for it!
Fruit trees such as peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, and plums have relatively thin, smooth bark that can be vulnerable to sunscald and damage from winter freezing and thawing cycles.
Colleen discusses using white latex paint diluted 50% with water on the trunks. The light color helps reflect sunlight and heat, almost like sunscreen for the tree, while also helping deter some insect and animal damage.
It's also a good time to spread shredded leaves around your orchard to improve soil organic matter.
🌸 Is It Too Late to Plant Perennials, Bulbs & Grasses?
By the second half of November, Colleen recommends generally stopping new plantings of perennials, succulents, bulbs, and ornamental grasses.
Newly planted perennials may not have enough time to establish strong root systems before freezing temperatures arrive.
What If You Already Have Plants in Pots?
You have two options:
Plant them now: If the extended forecast shows a stretch of warm weather without freezes, they may have time to establish before temperatures drop.
Keep them in containers: Protect them from freezing weather and maintain proper moisture until planting conditions improve in spring.
Both approaches involve some risk.
Don't Forget About Winter Watering!
Newly planted perennials and ornamental grasses still need moisture during winter.
Cold soil can make it difficult to tell whether the ground is actually moist.
Colleen recommends checking soil moisture, especially after extended periods without rain or during warm, windy weather.
For newly planted perennials, the soil should feel moist, similar to a wrung-out sponge.
A soil moisture meter can be especially helpful when checking whether your plants need water during colder months.
📅 Upcoming Central Texas Gardening Events
Colleen also shares two upcoming opportunities to connect with other Central Texas gardeners.
On November 21, 2026, she'll lead a tree identification walk at Circle Acres in Southeast Austin from 10:00 AM to noon. Participants will learn about native Central Texas trees and how collecting tree seeds can help protect important local tree species. Registration information is available through ATXGardens Events.
Then, mark your calendar for January 30, 2027—National Seed Swap Day. Central Texas Seed Savers will host its annual seed swap at the Central Library in downtown Austin, with more details coming in future episodes.
🥦 Should You Keep Planting Winter Vegetables?
Late November marks the end of the ideal fall planting window for many Central Texas home gardeners.
Although it's still possible to plant cool-season vegetables, new seedlings and transplants are more vulnerable to freezing temperatures than established plants.
If you're comfortable taking some risks, you can continue planting—but understand that a hard freeze could damage or kill tender new growth.
Cool-Season Vegetables You Can Still Try Planting
From transplants:
Artichokes
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Collards
Leeks
From seed:
Fava beans
Beets
Turnips
Carrots
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Swiss chard
Arugula
Radishes
Dandelions
Chicory
Radicchio
Endive
Spinach
There's Still Time to Plant Garlic, Shallots & Onions
Garlic can still be planted in late November, although earlier planting generally allows more growing time.
Plant individual garlic cloves with the pointed end facing up. Garlic grows throughout winter and spring and doesn't require much space, making it easy to tuck between other vegetables.
Shallots and onions are also options for late fall planting.
Colleen shares why she personally prefers waiting until January to plant onion sets.
🌿 What About Cool-Season Herbs?
If you're willing to risk potential freeze damage, you can still direct sow:
Cilantro
Feverfew
Dill
Parsley
Calendula
Chamomile
You can also try planting small transplants of perennial herbs such as garlic chives, oregano, thyme, sage, mint, and lemon balm.
Remember that newly planted herbs are more susceptible to cold damage.
Protect Your Vegetable Garden From Freezing Weather
One of Colleen's most important reminders is that watering plants before a freeze can be even more important than covering them.
Well-hydrated plants are better equipped to withstand freezing temperatures than dehydrated plants.
Before freezing weather arrives:
Check soil moisture and water plants as needed.
Prepare covers for vulnerable vegetables and herbs.
Add mulch to exposed soil.
Use shredded leaves, grass clippings, or pine needles to help retain moisture and soil warmth.
💙 Don't Mistake Your Bluebonnets for Weeds!
If you planted Texas bluebonnets or other wildflower seeds earlier this fall, you may already be seeing tiny seedlings emerge.
But be careful—young wildflowers can easily be mistaken for weeds!
Colleen recommends learning what your wildflower seedlings look like so you don't accidentally pull them while weeding.
Native American Seed has photos of young bluebonnet plants that can help you identify what's growing in your garden.
🌵 Protecting the Big Bend Region
In this episode's activism segment, Colleen returns to her concerns about border wall construction and development in the Big Bend region of Texas.
She discusses the potential environmental impacts on sensitive habitats, native plants, wildlife, and the Rio Grande ecosystem, along with recent developments she describes involving construction and legal challenges.
Colleen encourages listeners who want to learn more or get involved to explore the No Big Bend Wall website and its petition, as well as the Big Bend Borderlands BioBlitz on iNaturalist.
The BioBlitz provides an opportunity to help document the region's biodiversity and contribute to community science.
🔗 Resources & Products Mentioned
Book a consultation with Colleen: http://atxgardens.com/
Garden Bug — IG @garden__bug
Copper Fungicide
Lime Sulfur
Bordeaux Mix
White Latex Paint
Garden Bug — Instagram @garden__bug
Circle Acres Tree Identification Walk
Central Texas Seed Savers
National Seed Swap Day
Native American Seed — Bluebonnet seedling identification photos
🌼 Stay Connected
For more Central Texas gardening advice, seasonal planting tips, and sustainable landscaping guidance, visit ATXGardens.com and follow Colleen on Instagram @ATXGardens_.
