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Accurate assessment of the low-temperature tolerance of woody landscape plants is essential to ensure proper siting and use of specific varieties in the landscape. Laboratory determination of lowest survival temperature (LST) has become a popular area of study in recent years, yet there has been no standardization of technique among the many labs conducting this work. One of the major differences in technique employed across the country is the presence or absence of ice seeding of samples prior to the testing procedure. This presentation will present results of a series of studies conducted to determine the need for and efficacy of ice seeding treatments for LST determination in woody plants. A series of four studies was conducted over a 3-year period to test the difference in LST estimation with and without ice seeding. Twenty-two taxa, including both deciduous and evergreen species, were subjected to controlled freezing at ≈4°C/hr. with test samples removed from the freezer every 3°C. Following a 24-hr thaw and 5 to 7 days of incubation at 21°C, 100% RH, stems were sliced longitudinally and visually assessed for damage to vascular tissues. In the majority of cases, ice seeding was determined to have no significant affect on LST determination. In several species (Kalmia latifolia, Vaccinium angustifolium), the introduction of ice seeding into the protocol resulted in greater variation and less distinct determination of LST.