Frost Flowers

It’s a good year for frost flowers. These “flowers” form during the first really cold nights of the fall. Basically, water is forced up through the stems of certain species of plants and is forced outward, forming intricate patterns. Most of these frost flowers formed on the stems of Verbesina virginica, White Crownbeard.

This is by far the most frost flowers I’ve ever seen in the wild. This is the third time I’ve seen them at Pearl Creek Farm. The other times I saw one or two only. There are more than two dozen out there now!

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Typical Frost Flowers at Pearl Creek Farm.
Typical Frost Flowers at Pearl Creek Farm.
Tall Frost Flower at Pearl Creek Farm.
Tall Frost Flower at Pearl Creek Farm. This particular “flower” extended up two stems at least 18 inches.
Frost Flowers at Pearl Creek Farm.
Frost Flowers at Pearl Creek Farm. Note several “flowers” (at least six) in this photograph.