SearchYou have to get up very early on a cold and frosty morning to see these: the phenomena known as a frost flower is formed when water drawn up into the stem of a plant forms into a thin layer of ice. The temperature above ground must be below zero while the temperature below ground is not. The plant can still draw up water from the ground but above the ground it will begin to freeze and stem crystals form in the cold air make the stem walls crack. Capillary action draws up more water that in turn becomes ice that may form into ribbons and delicate “petals.” But the minute the sun comes out, they melt away.
