Every year come November and early December, the weather turns cold in these here West Virginia hills and hollers! The final leaves fall. The last of the green grass begins to fade. And for a brief time, a rare treasure begins to bloom in the woods and fields of West Virginia: frost flowers.
Frost flowers aren't actual flowers, of course. But they sure do look like beautiful ice blooms!
A frost flower forms when very thin layers of ice form out from certain long-stemmed plants as the weather turns cold.
These thin ice sheets curl into petals, forming spectacular patterns that look like flowers. These frost flowers are also known as ice flowers, ice blossoms, needle ice, ice ribbons, rabbit frost, and more.
In addition to extending from dying plants, these chilly works of art can also form up out of pores in the soil or dead wood.
What makes these frost flowers such a rare sight? One factor is the weather conditions required.
Frost flowers only form when the sap of the plant stem freezes, but the wet ground it is growing in hasn't yet frozen. The sap expands in its frozen state and forms long, thin cracks along the length of the plant stem. Capillary action pulls water up from the ground to these cracks, where it freezes as soon as it contacts the air. The frozen water is pushed into thin sheets as more water is drawn up behind it, and the thin petal of the ice blossom forms.
Every frost flower forms in a unique pattern, just like snowflakes. The ice petals are so delicate that they typically melt or even sublimate as soon as the sun shines on them, so watch for them very early in the morning or in shaded areas.
Plants that are especially likely to form frost flowers are white crownbeard, frostweed, and yellow ironweed. These types of plants often grow in areas that are seldom mowed, and are sometimes found near blackberry brambles. They can also grow on windfallen conifer branches.
Have you ever seen any frost flowers in West Virginia when the weather turns cold during the late fall or early winter season? We'd love to see your photos! And by the way, frost flowers aren't the only unique natural phenomenon to be on the lookout for as you're strolling through the West Virginia woods -- keep your eyes peeled for glow in the dark mushrooms, too.
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