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How can I tell if a plant is dead from the freeze?
We had a very uncharacteristic harsh winter this year, and so many of us lost plants to the freeze. But also you may have not lost that plant. Many of our plants and trees simply go dormant, and so they may look dead, but are not dead at all.
There are things you can check. On young trees, just take a knife and scratch lightly into some of the branches. If you see green tissue underneath, it's fine. The same thing goes for your shrubs.
Summer annuals would have died in any winter. In some cases, they'll come back from seed (though not necessarily where you want them!).
On your perennials, those would have died above ground, but they will definitely be alive below ground if their roots have survived. And because our soil stays much warmer than the cold air, I think you'll have fewer losses than you might think right now.
So all the top growth will die back, but don't give up on those roots. If you've mulched them, they'll probably be just fine.
In any case, it's still winter (despite the warm days). Don't dig up anything yet and give it a chance this spring.
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