Photos by Ashleigh Newnes

Although winter is a least-favorite season for most, it can be a magical time of year. It’s a chance for rest and rebirth for humans, plants and animals alike.

Winter is the perfect time for exploring the woods without worrying about snakes, poison ivy or mosquitos. Still, despite all of its underappreciated beauty, there is an absence this time of year. Many who spend time outdoors sorely miss the flowers. This is one of many reasons why the “frost flowers” are such a treat to find. They are absolutely beautiful and, while not a true flower, they may as well be—they are winter’s wildflowers.

Frost flowers are formed when thin layers of ice are extruded out of tall, thin plants (ironweed, for example). The water in the stems of these tall plants expands (due to the freeze), and this creates long, thin cracks around the stem. As the water pours out and touches the air, it freezes, forming beautiful iced “petals.” This usually occurs in late fall but they have been found in January around Murfreesboro, due to the wacky weather patterns of late.

If you have yet to see this exquisite display that nature graciously provides, find them in fields with these types of tall plants after a freeze and in soil that has not yet frozen. When touched, the frost flowers shatter like glass, though it looks like it would feel soft like a petal or cotton candy.

Nature offers us year-round beauty and wonder to explore. Don’t wait until the spring to get out and see it.