A frozen lake can develop a delicate covering that resembles a field of tiny white flowers. These photographs show crystals above the ice surface, rather than blossoms or snow sculptures placed by hand.
One name describes different ice phenomena
“Frost flowers” can refer to crystals growing on ice, while the same phrase is also used for ribbons of ice emerging from plant stems. The plant-stem explanation in the old article does not describe the lake scenes shown here.
Beauty is not an ice-strength test
A crystalline surface says little about whether the ice beneath can support a person. Enjoy the close-up shapes and the wider patterned surface without treating their appearance as permission to walk out for a photograph.
Explore more: snow-crystal patterns formed in clouds; crystals growing across a soap bubble.
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