MADISON, Wis. – Plants and wildlife have been on a rollercoaster this Wisconsin winter.

Here in the Badger State, we’ve seen big snowstorms, followed by no snow for weeks, then our first February tornado, followed by winter days in the 70s. Madison even experienced its biggest temperature swing ever. Now, we’ve got a freeze on the way.

“For the staff here, it’s tracking these events over time, and seeing how they differ between different years,” said UW-Madison Arboretum ecologist Brad Herrick.

He’s worked there for 17 years, so he’s able to compare each season. He said this year is a weird one.

“We’ve had really sharp temperature swings from February on,” he said.

Herrick said it’s left plants confused and many that tend to be early bloomers in general popped up even earlier than usual.

The same is happening in gardens, yards and natural areas all over Wisconsin. That includes in Janesville at the famed Rotary Gardens.

Before magnolia trees start to bloom, the buds become fuzzy. Pink and white flowers are popping out of the magnolias at the Arboretum.

“That’s an early blooming species that’s already bloomed,” Herrick said. “Some of those flowers will probably, unfortunately, die because we’re going to get some cold temperatures the next few days.” 

With colder weather this week, they may be in trouble.

“Some plants will lose their flowers if they’ve already jumped the gun,” he said. “Some plants could die.”

At The Bruce Company in Middleton, general manager Lisa Briggs said the “tastes of spring” we’ve seen have gotten gardeners antsy. She said she’s advised them to just be patient until it’s safer to bank on mild weather.

Wildlife could get confused too. Herrick said warblers are some of the first species to typically migrate back to Wisconsin.

“They’re gonna be like ‘what’s going on, I’m starving from my 500 mile trip, I’m looking for some food.’ They’re going to need to not use energy,” he said. “[They’ll] just kind of huddle in the trees and hang out until temperatures are more moderate.” 

If you have plants you’re worried might freeze, Herrick said there’s one main way to protect them.

“Covering your plants with cloth, or with a bucket if it’s a small perennial,” he said. “That will ensure that the plant will moderate its temperature and won’t die.” 

Briggs said hardy perennials, even if damaged this year, should survive. She tells people to have a plan and pay attention to the forecast.

For weather information, click here.