But DON’T spend the weekend “cleaning up” dead and frozen plants -- they may not be dead! I prefer a tropical yard, which comes with its own beauty and risk, so I’ve been hit pretty hard this week. Pruning the dead/damaged plant material, while tempting, is discouraged - it will only apply more stress to the plant. AdWhen you are ready to prune later this spring, assess the damage by scratching the bark and look at the color of the material underneath. If the trunk is soft then the palm tree is dead and will need to be removed.