This Crazy And Rare Texas Weed Only “Blooms” During A Freeze

It's called "Frostweed", (Verbesina virginica for all you plant nerds), and it's as unique to the plant world as Texas is to the world in general.

Along with hissing mushrooms, the lone star state brings you this. Frostweed, aka ice ribbons, ice flowers, ice fringes, ice fingers, ice filaments, ice leaves, frost flowers, frost ribbons, frost freaks and frost bears, among other names.

Whatever you want to call it, (1) it's not really a weed and (2) it's probably the only form of plant life that needs a hard freeze, with warm ground, to do its thing. Weird right?

Even stranger is the fact that it's super rare and was recently spotted for the first time in forever near Houston of all places. Not exactly the coldest place in Texas.

This crazy 'lil flower, plant, weed whatever, only pops up once in a blue moon and then only puts on its show under freezing, yet NOT freezing, conditions.

Frostweed is a Texas native that “blooms” both in the Summer, and in the Winter.
During August through September, clusters of white flowers bloom and help to attract all sorts of pollinators. During the Winter, when a freeze occurs, the stems will burst at the base of the plant, blooming beautiful ice formations! - Brazos Bend State Park Via Facebook

I'll admit, it does look pretty cool. You can see some pictures of Mr. Frosty doing his thing above, here, in the video and up at the top.