How does SNOW affect plants outdoors?

[Matheous-2]

Are they killed simply with the cold or is it disruption of their photo synthesis?

[sandyRoe]

In some I'd guess it freezes the water in the plant.

[society]

Some die, not totally, and spring back in Spring.

[carlton23]

Perrenial and hardy plants go into hibernation, much like some animals and wake up again in the spring, just as society says. I don`t like to say they die, as I like to think they are just sleeping.

[Matheous-2]

Thank you carlton.....Now I'm optimistic for most of my shrubs....!

[agardner09]

I hope I'm not too late to add my twopence worth Matheous. Snow does very little damage to most plants, at least in the normal amounts we get in the uk. It's frost that does the damage. Snow often acts like a blanket and because it reflects light it helps most plants in photosynthesis. The exceptions are mainly fleshy plants that cant take any cold. As carlton says snow tends to coincide with the normal dormant winter period so lots of plants avoid it but even flowering plants such as helebores aren't usually phased by the stuff.

[Matheous-2]

Thank you agardner09 that gives me a little more confidence.....At the moment I have a few shrubs which actually have large ICICLES hanging from them!!!

[carlton23]

I always pour cold water over frosted plants that I want to keep as this helps enormously. I think it was a TV gardener whom passed on this tip, and it works.

[Matheous-2]

Sounds good to me -carlton23!!

[murraymints]

snow can be a good thing as it protects plants from frost, the weight of snow on a plant can be a problem causing collapse .. but things do bounce back.. have lots of snow here..near Edinburgh.. very high... wait 'till May to prune back.. resist the temptation to "tidy up" plants now