This week, the first substantial wave of wintry weather swept across the United States, bringing snow and frigid temperatures. Among the extraordinary sights seen in various regions were frost flowers, delicate structures made of thin ribbons of ice that emerge when water breaks through specific plant stems and freezes, creating enchanting floral-like patterns.
Frost flowers, often likened to clouds of cotton candy or spun glass, predominantly appear in the Eastern U.S., particularly in the upper regions where hard freezes are more typical. They generally last only for a few hours, offering a transient yet mesmerizing spectacle each winter.
On recent Monday and Tuesday mornings, residents in states such as Indiana, Missouri, and Tennessee shared photos on social media depicting fields and backyards adorned with these intricate icy creations in the early hours after a hard frost. Alan Templeton, an emeritus professor of conservation genetics at Washington University in St. Louis, expressed his fascination with these ephemeral marvels. He stated, You have to be at the right time, at the right place […] it’s this very ephemeral, but highly variable beauty, and it’s that combination that makes me so fascinated by them.
While these ice patterns are often found at the bases of a select few plant species like white or yellow wingstem, they require precisely the right conditions to manifest. Templeton emphasizes that once frost flowers appear, they typically won’t return for another year.
These conditions involve a warm, wet ground that allows water to rise from the plant's roots into the stem while the air remains cold enough to freeze the liquid. The phenomenon can only occur with specific plants that possess a resilient root system late in the year.
Templeton recounted his first encounter with frost flowers decades ago while conducting fieldwork in the Missouri Ozarks. Describing them as really beautiful, he noted their uniqueness, stating no two frost flowers look alike.
However, this year he observed only a sparse number in a conservation area where hundreds had bloomed in the past. Crystal Legens, a Tennessee resident, shared her discovery of frost flowers three years prior after moving to a more rural area. Initially mistaking the delicate ice formations for spider webs, she was captivated by their beauty upon closer inspection.
Legens reflected on the mystery surrounding frost flowers, remarking, People live here their whole life and they never even know that exist because they just never see them or they’re not in the right place at the right time. As winter continues, these enchanting formations provide a reminder of nature’s fleeting beauty amid the chill, inviting vigilant onlookers to appreciate their intricacies before the sun inevitably melts them away.
