Are my pineapple plant and papaya plant saveable?

Question

I have a white pineapple (sugarloaf pineapple), and a papaya tree that that were growing all spring and summer in Salt Lake City, UT. They were both doing very well, and I was planning on taking them down to my parents who live in a warmer climate for the fall and winter. However, we unexpectedly got a cold front recently and both plants were subjected to temps of 28 degrees F (-2 degrees C), and both looked sick the next morning. Since then I’ve been bringing them inside at night, and back out in the warm sunlight during the day. Do you think they’ll survive? Or is it too late?

Answer 1

The answer in both cases is probably "wait and see", but the papaya is least likely to survive.

Temperatures below 34F can kill the leaves on papayas, which is what seems to have happened to yours. It may re-grow from the stem or the roots next year if you are lucky. Since it is not likely to show any signs of life till next spring, moving it in and out of the house every day is probably a waste of effort.

For pineapples frost damage can occur below 28F, and the leaves in your picture appear to be frost damaged. If the growing tip survived and the plant starts to develop new leaves, it should survive.