Frost Flowers are in Full Bloom

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One on the unique finds in the winter woodlands of Kowalski Mountain are Frost Flowers. I have to admit, I had never heard of such a thing, until Philip took me on a winter stroll through the woods. Its one of those things that would be easy to pass by and not take notice of, but once you find one, you’ll begin to take time to look and truly soak in all that the winter landscape has to offer.

How Does a Frost Flower Grow

Frost flowers form when the sap in the plant stems begin to freeze and expand. This causes tiny cracks that allow thin layers of ice to extrude from the stems of plants. The thin layers of ice create unique patterns that curl into “petals” that look like flowers.

A Unique Winter Delight

Each Frost flower is unique, some simple, others with curling petals. They are a rare find in the woods, you have to catch them at just the right time. They form for only a short period of time when it’s getting cold enough to cause the sap in the plants to freeze. Then they are quickly gone when the temperatures warm up and they melt.

An Intriguing Phenomenon

I was surprised at how the Frost flower felt to touch. I expected it to be more delicate and easily break or melt away at my touch. The frost flowers is a bit hardier than I expected. It was a perfect day for finding them or my hands cold enough not to break them apart. It is difficult to capture their beauty with the camera.

We found them in the woods today while we were pulling the ground blinds from the woods. Hunting season for the Kowalski’s is officially over for this season.

To read more about our winter adventures. Check out this bitter sweet moment when I finally took my first shot as a deer. Check it out.

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