My amazing frost photos - They are called frost flowers - Thanks Alder B

This is the most amazing frost I've ever seen.

It grows best on dead branches that sit slightly above ground level,  that are half rotted and saturated with water.

We had three days that where a few degrees above freezing, followed by quite cold,  clear nights.

Some of these frost clumps are 3 1/2 inches wide and one foot in length.

These are called frost flowers. A google of this term will bring up a bunch of cool photos. I think they can occur anywhere it freezes, but I've certainly never seen any that big. I'm used to seeing them from the stems of recently cut or recently frosted weeds and stout perennials, early in the winter while there is still some sap in them. And one has to get up early to see them....once the sun is on them they quickly melt or evaporate away.....

My clay tiles were all covered with icy dimples.  Rocks didn't get much frost on them at all.

I'm almost never at the property during freezing weather. So,  for all I know, I may have frost flowers every winter. I'm going to try setting up the perfect conditions for this,  when I'm back on a cold day.

Found one more picture on my phone. Next time we do a calendar, these things will be submitted. My good camera should surpass these cell phone shots.

I returned to the property yesterday. Warm days and cold nights.

These are probably the last frost flowers for this year. We did not get frost last night.

 I've determined that they develop on the same pieces of wood every night. Half rotted and saturated pieces of alder are the main producer. The largest one where my hand is showing, bridges a small depression. Wet wood in full contact with the ground, doesn't always get cold enough.

Just found this one in my phone. I'm sure it's happening again right now, but I'm not there.

It's coming up to that time of year, when these things are likely to be observed.

I still haven't seen these anywhere else except for a little thing the size of a dime. So I think it was a fairly rare occurrence. The combination of warm days and cold nights, with rotten pieces of alder and cottonwood, containing enough moisture to allow continuous growth of the frost. Cold enough to make frost but not so cold that the whole piece of wood freezes, which I believe would shut down the process.

Those are beautiful.  I've never seen anything like it.