I feel for you. I am really high up on a hill and during these first few freezes (8b), I am either above the cold or it just gets drained off to my neighbors down hill. We were projected for around low 20's and I barely touched freezing but my neigbor, 4 miles away and 700 feet lower got into the upper teens. I am not complaining.

I mostly just mulch my S. leucantha during the winter. I let it die back and I don't cut it, and then in FEB , I cut it back when I see the new growth. So far It keeps coming back. We had 12 degrees last year. You get winter moisture (I am guessing), so I it might be different for you there.

I live on what the neighbors call the "banana belt". Just the right slope/elevation east facing bajada of a 7400 ft peak. My 4600 ft property has a 100 ft wide wash that drains the cool away from the house and garden.

We are getting one of the freaky cold spells 18 degrees as I write. During the day we will be in the 50's or 60's, and never frozen ground. So I am lucky there.

We expect half of our precipitation in winter, but it has been very dry this fall. The summer monsoon season gave as a great growing season.

My S. leucantha always sends up numerous shoot in the fall and will persist until spring.

About time for the catalogs to arrive.