frost flowers

Frost flowers are delicate ice formations that emerge from plant stems or soil in freezing conditions.

Water inside a plant's stem freezes and expands, cracking the outer layer and extruding thin ribbons of ice that curl into petal-like shapes.

The term also describes fragile ice crystals that form on calm, supercooled water surfaces, particularly in polar regions.

Both types are ephemeral, melting quickly once temperatures rise or sunlight arrives.