November 09, 2004

Frost flowers "occur when still-living green plant tissue freezes and the sap is extruded in long, unbroken strands...No one knows why the plant responds this way to freezing temperatures (my guess is it’s just a happy coincidence of climate and the plant’s biochemistry) but the results can be spectacular."

This page doesn't have as many photos, but has more on the why. More yummy frost flower photos.

posted by PY 20 years ago
  • That's pretty damn cool. Thanks, PY!
  • Cloudland.net has some especially nice images of them in its journal section, here and here. (You will have to scroll way the heck down on the first one [or find "frost flowers" on the page], but I think it's worth it.)
  • Thanks, PY!
  • Wild!
  • Beautiful.
  • Some great photographs in these links -- thanks {Y.
  • =PY
  • )
  • Very cool!..um, literally.
  • gads... i've seen those in the wild before, but never knew what they were. I thought maybe a fungus or something.
  • Thank you, PY. I never knew there were such magical, lovely things.
  • the crack of sap and silence blooms a spindled whorl slow turns and turns this equinox curls pressed out from a chill that burns frost flowers ribbons splitting stalks
  • Beautiful, beeswacky. I like this and your Tea piece best so far, though I haven't really delved into the depths of your MoFi oeuvre.
  • Thanks -- inspired by your link, PY. I've seen these often, but had no idea there was a special name for them.
  • And now, I cry.
  • Gorgeous. I just had a moment there.
  • beautiful! i knew it would bring out the finest in our bees!!
  • What a treasure, PY! Thank you.