Saturday Art Saves Nature's Frost Flowers

Frost Flowers photo via gardening.bloginky.com

 

Each Saturday I focus on a different artist that I admire.

From potters to painters, chefs to collectors, seamstress to songwriters, lifestyle to lovers...

anyone who set the paintbrush, pastry brush, hands and heart on fire to create.

Those who inspire art to flow where it may.

 

 

Photo Source and text via Kuriositas

 

 

Frost flowers are as beautiful as they are rare. 

 

"A frost flower is created during autumn or early winter mornings when ice in extremely thin layers is pushed out from the stems of plants or occasionally wood. This extrusion creates wonderful patterns which curl and fold into gorgeous frozen petioles giving this phenomenon both its name and its appearance."

 

Image Credit Flickr User Cotonis

 

"Conditions have to be just so for frost flowers to form. Early winter and late autumn are the optimum time to come across them as although the weather conditions must be freezing it is vital that the ground is not."

 

Image Credit Flickr User markinspecx

 

Have you ever seen a frost flower?

I had never even heard of them.

 

 

Image Credit Flickr User markinspex

 

"As the temperature reaches freezing, the sap in the stem of the plants will expand.  As it does the outer layer of the stem comes under increasing pressure creating microscopically thin cracks, known as linear fissures, begin to form.  These finally give way under the pressure of the sap and split open."

 

 

Image Credit Flickr User Cotinis

 

Aren't they beautiful.

A winter bouquet.

 

Image Credit Flickr User jball359

 

"Water is continuously being drawn up the plant’s stem while the ground remains unfrozen. It travels up the plants external structural axis, and reaches the split or splits.  As it does so, it oozes slowly out and it freezes. Yet more water is coming behind it."

 

 

Image Credit Flickr User markinspex

 

Frost flowers last until the sun's rays touch them.

 

 

Image Credit Flickr User slowmoz

 

"This new water reaches the cracks and it too freezes, pushing the previous slither of ice away from the stem.  In this manner the amazing ‘petals’ that you see in these pictures are formed."  

 

Image Credit Flickr User crestedcrazy

 

"Frost flower effect can happen to wood even when it has been made in to a fence or a gate, as seen above.  In this case the water is extruded through the pores in the wood rather than cracks."

   

"The frost flower has a number of other names: you may know them as frost castles, ice castles, ice blossoms, or even the very scientific sounding crystallofolia. Yet the name is something of a misnomer:  frost is created by water vapor. Frost flower, on the other hand, are formed from liquid water."

 

Image Credit Flickr User markinspex

 

Image Credit Flickr User slomoz

 

"If you come across one – be careful!  Rather than attempt to pick it up, if you have a camera or a phone with you take a picture instead.  Frost flowers are incredibly delicate and will more often than not shatter when touched." 

 

Image Credit Flickr User Cotinis

 

"Not only that, as they are made of such thin sheets of ice, they will melt away as the sun rises higher in the sky.  You may get frost flowers again the following day, but unless the conditions are just right the chances are your first glimpse may be your last."

 

Comments

[Jeannie]

Oh my gosh! I have never seen anything so beautiful! No, I hadn't heard of them either. Wow! They look like glimmery spun silk. Thanks Corey!

[Brenda L. from TN.]

I have never heard of or seen anything like this before!

They are truly beautiful! Thanks for sharing! They DO look like spun silk...

[Connie]

This is awesomely amazing. It makes me think that I have probably walked right past some of this gorgeous ice flowers, in my life time and never stopped long enough to truly see what was there. Next fall and early winter I will be on the look-out :) This was a incredible post, thank you for sharing:)
Your blogging sister, Connie :)

[Jill]

AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL !
XX

[g]

Corey I am absolutely SPEECHLESS- Oh My Gosh-so beautiful and boy or boy would I want to touch it..but sometimes beautiful, lovely, delicate, things are to be loved and admire with one's eyes only-I have never heard of these formations nor have I ever beheld one....needless to say come fall/winter i will be looking diligently, i maight add to locate just one of these beautiful creations!

[NancyO.]

When I lived on a farm I saw these every fall. There is also an hour-long PBS piece on these. If I can find a link, I will send it along.

Thank you for your blog, Corey. It's a daily must read for me.

NancyO.

[Brenda, Walker, LA]

So amazed by these! Thank you for that captured image! Don't see that here in southern USA!

[Janet]

une merveilleuse découverte ! un très grand merci...

[Chico Sue]

WOW! I am absolutely astonished by this incredible phenomenon!!! I have lived many years witout ever having seen such beauty and I think I will be on the look out to find these little miracles. Thank you for introducing us to such marvels.

[Evelyn]

These are amazing! As much as I've walked and hiked, I've never seen one or even known they existed. I'll be on the look-out now. Thanks for sharing.

[Merisi in Vienna]

Wondrous, took my breath away, both the beauty and the science behind it!
Thank you so much for sharing this site, I am hooked.
Love Kuriositas' "Mission Statement" in the "about" section, the site being about "Art, science and all the interesting bits in-between".

Merici,
Merisi

[24/7 in France]

Beautiful - looks like silk!

[Tracy]

So intriguing!

[Patti Lloyd]

so much we often don't know is there..but it is. That is the wondrous beauty of life. We need to keep our eye out for the magic and believe.

[Marilyn]

I have never heard of frost flowers. They are beautiful. Now I will be watching for them. Thanks for sharing with us.

[Darlene]

I've never heard of these. What beauty Nature holds. Now I really want to live in a cold place for a while in hopes of seeing one of these. Thank you for sharing them.

[Rebecca from the pacific northwest]

These are beautiful. "Frost flowers last until the sun's rays touch them" brings to mind Andy Goldsworthy's ephemeral works. Does your information say what parts of the climate/world they mostly occur in?

[Smee]

Adding my thanks and raised hand with those who have never heard of or seen this amazing artwork of nature. Many thanks for opening my eyes, once more, this Sunday to the wonders of the Creator!

[Laura Kirste Campbell]

Oh, thanks so much for sharing this! I saw one in my yard last year and had no idea what it was, but it was stunning and my family marveled at it until it melted (more like disappeared before our eyes) Amazing! Now we know what to call it if we ever see it again! Beautiful photos!