The thing we didnt understand was, that after a plant freezes back, you can still cut the trunk off above the ground and it most likely will grow back.
This is the root ball of a 10ft vibrant Slaughter Pink that probably had 40 new inflos at the end of the season going into winter last year. It was one of the ones we didn't cut up because it had 3 seed pods we were trying to protect...but with some many freezes back to back, she eventually succumbed. With so many others we were still trying to protect, I quite putting effort into her and didnt protect her anymore...she turned completely black and leached black ooze from the main trunk. I didn't cut off the main trunk for weeks after assuming she was a goner....low and behold....
Remember you must cut the trunk off...if you leave a wounded, half dead trunk in place, the plant will try to re-establish itself through said trunk. It will start new growth at the highest point that is green, even though the trunk is 70% dead. That is a compromised pipeline and the new growth will not be able to get enough to be vibrant. The limbs will be skinny, the shape of the re-growth will be ugly and mis-shapened and the blooms will be scrawny. By cutting it back you will have a full, beautiful, aggressive plant!
