Nature's Nap Time

Cold winter temperatures cause many animals to rely on different forms of hibernation.

As fall turns to winter, many animals begin to alter their patterns as the days become shorter, temperatures turn colder, and food becomes scarce. Depending on the species and their environment, there are several strategies that different animals can use to overwinter. Current thinking is that these strategies are not necessarily distinctly separate, but rather lie along a single spectrum. 

True hibernation or dormancy is a state of nearly complete reduced activity defined by a lower body temperature and metabolic rate. A loud noise or movement won’t wake an animal in this state.  However, not all animals undergo a true hibernation, especially in warmer climates areas like central Texas.  Native bumblebees are an example of true hibernators in our area, as they seek shelter in a hole in the soil, under leaf litter, or in hollow plant stems.

Native bumblebees are true winter hibernators in Central Texas.

Brumation is another hibernation-like state exhibited by several cold-blooded reptiles and amphibians such as snakes, lizards, turtles, and fish.  This state can last for months and is triggered by colder temperatures and shorter days. These animals will den in rock crevices or dirt burrows, sometimes alone, but often in groups as in the case of garter snakes. While their body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rates are greatly reduced, some animals in this state may awaken periodically to drink water.

In winter, Black-necked Garter Snakes often den in groups.

This Green Anole came out of brumation on a warmer winter day.

Not as deep as hibernation, topor is a state that can last for several days or weeks. This light hibernation lasts for short periods of time, allowing animals to wake up on warmer winter days. Such is the case for ground squirrel species such as the Rock Squirrel. Some bird species, such as hummingbirds, go into torpor nearly every night to conserve energy, and can even enter a torpid state during colder days.

Rock Squirrels enter a state of torpor during the colder winter months.

While there are different types of hibernation strategies, hibernation states can also be categorized by the factors that induce that state.  Facultative hibernation in animals is caused by environmental conditions such as lack of food, short daylight hours, cold temperatures, or a combination of these stressors. This can induce short or longer periods of topor throughout the colder season. Obligate hibernation applies to animals that hibernate spontaneously every year for long or short periods, regardless of temperature or food supply. 

Most animals build up fat reserves in the fall to survive the colder winter periods in which they are dormant or less active. However, climate change may disrupt these patterns, as drier summers, warmer autumns, and long-standing droughts can lead to lower food production.  This may cause animals to enter hibernation states without the stored calories they need, and emerge early from hibernation hungry for food that is not yet available.  These types of timing mismatches will become more prevalent as our planet warms, disrupting the rhythms of nature’s nap time.

Irruption Disruption

Pine Siskins often feed in groups or flocks

While many northern species of birds fly south through central Texas during fall migration, some species go no further, and spend their winters in the area. Our generally mild winters and higher availability of food sources are the reasons they stay, fueling themselves in the cooler months as they prepare for northward migration in the spring.  

This cycle is not always predictable, however, as there are a few overwintering bird species that are nearly absent in some years, and overly abundant in other years.  One such species is the Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus), a small finch-sized, seed-eating bird with a sharp pointed bill, short notched tail, and streaky brown overall with subtle yellow edging on the wings and tail.  They flash yellow wing markings as they flutter while feeding or burst into flight, and usually occur in fairly large, gregarious flocks.  Their wheezy twitters are a dead giveaway, and they will stay all winter near a dependable food source.  

Pine Siskin showing the yellow edging on wings and tail

Pine Siskins range widely and erratically across North America every winter in response to seed crops, and flocks may monopolize your feeders one winter and be completely missing the next. In the winters when Pine Siskins are abundant, the phenomenon is referred to as an irruption.  In the bird world, irruptions, broadly defined as sudden changes in population density, refer to the movement of northern-wintering bird species to the south in years of low food availability. However, some recent bird banding studies suggest that some pine siskins fly west to east while others fly north to south in search of winter food.

While fairly common, the overall population of Pine Siskins is difficult to estimate due to their unpredictable seasonal movements.  However, this species is considered to be in steep decline, with an estimated 69% decline in numbers from 1966 to 2019.  Natural threats include predation by outdoor domestic cats, squirrels, hawks, and jays.  Man-made threats include pesticides, mineral deposits from salts used to melt ice and snow, outbreaks of salmonella from unsanitary feeders, and forest clearing.

Pine Siskins will quickly empty your feeders!

Winter flocks of Pine Siskins can be aggressive around food sources, often trying to disrupt and challenge feeding competitors by lowering their heads and spreading their wings and tail. They may even lunge toward and pick fights with other seed-eating birds such as Lesser Goldfinches and House Finches. Keep an eye on your feeders this winter and you just may witness this irruption disruption, when flocks of these birds can eat you out of house and home!

Odd Ducks

Waterfowl in winter's morning mist on Lady Bird Lake.

Wintertime is the perfect time to look for ducks in central Texas.  Several species that breed far north of our state’s border return to Texas in the colder months to feed in our unfrozen freshwater lakes and rivers.  From the Old English ‘duce’, the word duck is a derivative of the verb meaning to duck or dive, or bend down low as if to get under something.  It best describes the way many ducks feed, by upending or diving under the water in search of a wide variety of food sources, such as small aquatic plants, grasses, fish, insects, amphibians, worms and mollusks.

Most ducks fall into either the dabbler or diver category.  Dabblers feed on the surface of the water, and sometimes on land, while divers disappear completely beaneath the surface and forage deep underwater.  In general, divers are heavier than dabblers, which gives them the ability to submerge more easily, but they often pay the price by having more difficulty when taking off to fly. 

While there are several species of ducks that are commonly found in central Texas winters, those that are more rarely seen usually occur singly or in small numbers.  These ‘odd ducks out’ include species such as the Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), Redhead (Aythya americana), and Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera).

A pair of Hooded Mergansers (female behind, male in front).

The Hooded Merganser is an uncommon diving duck that is found on forested wetlands, rivers, and backwaters. The male has a black bill and head, with a large white head patch that is conspicuous and fan-shaped when the elegant crest or hood is raised.  His black and white breast and back gives way to chestnut sides.  Females are generally browner, including their bushy crest, with some white only in the wing feathers.  Hooded Mergansers are one of the few species of ducks that nest in tree cavities rather than on dry ground near water, and the females may start scouting for next year’s tree cavity at the end of each breeding season.

A handsome male Hooded Merganser with his crest on full display.

The Redhead is a locally common diving duck, with the male having a rounded chestnut head, black breast, and smoky gray back and sides.  The female is tawny brown with a mostly slate bill with a pale band bordering a black tip.  The male’s bill is similarly patterned, but is mainly pale blue instead of slate.  Redheads prefer ponds and lakes with open waters, and sometimes winter in large flocks called rafts.  They fly faster than most ducks with a rapid, shallow wingbeat, and are sociable ducks that are usually found feeding with other duck species in a mixed flock.

Redhead ducks are aptly named.

An overall cinnamon color distinguishes the male Cinnamon Teal from the rich brown of the female, but both have a teal blue forewing patch.  The male also has a white face crescent and a vertical white flank patch.  Cinnamon Teals are dabbling ducks that can be sometimes be found on quiet marshes, ponds, and lakes in winter, typically near the edges of vegetation.  Males molt soon after breeding, but regain their rich reddish plumage by midwinter. While this species is not endangered, its population is declining due to pollution, recreational hunting, and the loss of wetland habitat.

Cinnamon Teal prefer wetland habitats with emergent vegetation.

The next time you venture out to a lake, river, or pond this winter, check the water’s edge and scan the flocks to see if you can spot one of Austin’s odd ducks!   

 

Preparing for a Winter Feast

 

Pine Siskin feeding on Thistle

Gardens can be a source of delight even during the winter months, if created with native plants for wildlife in mind. As the weather turns cold and foraging becomes more challenging, home gardens can be a critical resource for many different species.  Planting layers of vegetation, from ground covers to trees, provides the food and shelter necessary to sustain wildlife. 

Since different species utilize different types of food, it is important to consider the fructivores, nut eaters, granivores, and insectivores.   Native berry producing trees and shrubs that persist into winter are numerous and include yaupon, possumhaw, southern wax myrtle, American beautyberry, flameleaf sumac, roughleaf dogwood, Virginia creeper, Texas persimmon, and rusty blackhaw viburnum.  Trees such as the native Texas Red Oak, Live Oak, Post Oak, pecan, and Arizona walnut provide highly desirable nuts.  

Southern Wax Myrtle Berries

Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum Fruit

Post Oak Acorns

Another valuable practice is to create areas that mimic the forest floor by leaving leaves, which allows animals places to forage for overwintering insects.  Raking, mowing, and blowing is detrimental to many species of moths, butterflies, snails, spiders, beetles, and dozens of arthropods (such as millipedes).  Many moths and butterflies overwinter in the egg, caterpillar, or chrysalis/cocoon stage and use leaf litter as winter cover.  If you must keep your non-native lawn free of leaves, carefully rake them into a pile in the corner or spread them underneath trees and shrubs as a natural mulch.

Just as important is the practice of leaving seedheads and not cutting or pruning back perennials until they begin to break dormancy in late February or early March.  Birds can pluck seeds from spent flowerheads, hollow stems can become nests for solitary bees, and overripe fruits can be left to fall to the ground for animals to find.  Several native plant species that should be left standing throughout the winter include purple coneflower, blazing star, fall aster, common sunflower, tall goldenrod, western ironweed, frostweed, Texas thistle, Turk’s cap, blue mistflower, chile pequin, pigeonberry, and white boneset. 

Tall Goldenrod Seedhead

White Boneset Seedhead

Native grasses left to seed are also very beneficial, with clump-like vegetation at the base providing shelter from the cold and seedheads supplying food.  In early spring, the previous year’s leaf blades also provide necessary nesting material for many birds and small mammals.  The grass species to consider include inland sea oats, sideoats grama, switchgrass, big muhly, big bluestem, little bluestem, bushy bluestem, and indian grass.

Inland Sea-Oats Seeds

The colder months of the year are a good time to evaluate how well your garden provides a winter feast and haven for wildlife.  Helping our native animal species during the more barren months of the year by providing naturally occurring food and shelter helps to prepare them for a healthy and productive spring breeding season.

Birds and Berries

 

 A flock of over wintering Cedar Waxwings

Several species of birds overwinter in Texas during the colder months of the year, since food is typically more abundant here than in the northern parts of the country.  While many types of seed can provide nourishment when insects are not available, it is the berries that draw in large flocks of American Robins (Turdus migratorius) and Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum). 

American Robins are fairly large songbirds that are easily identified by a dark gray head, lighter gray back, yellow bill, and a rusty orange belly.  Throughout the fall and winter months they switch their diet from worms and insects to several types of berries, and often band together to form large flocks.  Look for them roosting in trees in moist woodland areas where berry-producing trees are shrubs are common, from November through mid-April.

American Robin

Cedar Waxwings are medium-sized songbirds with a sleek, silky look.  They are identified by a pale brown head with a crest that often lies flat, a narrow black mask outlined in white, a lemon-colored belly, and soft gray wings and tail. The tail is always tipped in bright yellow, and the wings have red waxy tips but they are not always easy to see. They also congregate in large flocks and are usually heard before seen, emitting a high-pitched trill as they fly about, from November through May.  They typically eat fruits year-round, depending on what is available.

Cedar Waxwing

In central Texas, overwintering American Robins eat berries from a variety of native plants, including Escarpment Black Cherry, Roughleaf Dogwood, Flameleaf Sumac, Ashe Juniper, Yaupon, Possumhaw, and Virginia Creeper.  In winter, Cedar Waxwings have a high preference for the berries of the Ashe Juniper, but will also eat the fruits of American Mistletoe, Texas Madrone, Roughleaf Dogwood, Yaupon, Possumhaw, and Coral Honeysuckle.

Ashe Juniper

It is important to note that these birds will also eat the berries of non-native, invasive plants such as Ligustrum species, Nandina, and Japanese Honeysuckle.  Since these unwelcome plants largely spread by bird droppings that contain the seeds of these fruits, replacing them with the native alternatives listed above is a responsible way to help safeguard against that spread.

Yaupon

From time to time, these birds can become intoxicated if they eat too much fruit that has fermented. Berries and other fruits can ferment in late fall and winter when frosts and freezes occur, which concentrates the sugar in the berries. When these cold periods are followed by warmer weather it accelerates the breakdown of the sugars into sugar alcohol, at a more potent level than might normally be present.  

Possumhaw

Like humans, drunken birds show signs of irregular movement and the inability to avoid obstacles, and some immature birds even risk the chance of death through alcohol poisoning.  Recent research shows, however, that birds such as Cedar Waxwings may have some natural protection against drunkenness due to their fairly large livers (for birds), as those livers can more effectively break down the alcohol to safely remove it from their bodies.

Each year, the numbers of American Robins and Cedar Waxwings present during a central Texas winter can fluctuate wildly.  In some years, when ample rains produce berries in copious amounts, these birds will appear in large flocks. But during drought years when berries are scarce, especially on junipers, these birds are found in much lower numbers.

Frost Flowers

Blooming from August to November, Frostweed provides late season nectar
and a unique surprise at the first frost.

Accompanying the crunching of fallen leaves and the rattling of seed pods drying in the breeze is the arrival of the first frost.  This marks the seasonal change from our relatively warm autumn to the cooler days of a mild central Texas winter.  How does frost, this sparkling layer that sometimes covers the fall landscape, form? 

When the temperature of the air reaches a point where the water vapor in it can condense out into water, it is called the dew point.  The frost point is when the dew point falls below freezing, and rather than producing dew, it creates frost.  Consisting of tiny, spike-like crystal structures called spicules that grow out from a solid surface, frost generally forms on surfaces that are colder than the surrounding air.  Even the size of the crystals can vary, depending upon the amount of time they took to grow, the relative changes in temperature, and the amount of water vapor available. 

A frost flower.

Cold air is denser than warm air, so quite often lower areas become colder on calm nights due to differences in elevation.  Known as surface temperature inversion, this phenomenon forms ‘frost pockets’ or areas where frost forms first, due to cold air trapped against the ground.  It is here, in these areas, that you can find a rare and wonderful spectacle of nature called ‘frost flowers.’

While many plants can be damaged or killed by freezing temperatures or frost, this varies by the type of plant and tissue exposed to these conditions.  In central Texas, there is a common plant called Frostweed (Verbesina virginica), which is found in low-lying areas near streams, creeks, canyon bottoms, and in dappled shade at woodland edges. 

Bordered Patch

Silvery Checkerspot

Much of the year, Frostweed goes unnoticed while it grows 5 to 8 feet tall and leafy, the top of each stalk crowned by a cluster of small white flowers.  Its stalks are oddly square-like, with fleshy green flanges. Frostweed begins to bloom in the August heat, and continues until first frost, well into the fall.  These flowers provide late-season nectar for many insects, including bees, beetles, flies, wasps, and even migrating hummingbirds and Monarch butterflies.  It is also a host plant for Silvery Checkerspot and Bordered Patch butterflies.

A patch of frost flowers.

With the first frost, however, the water contained in each Frostweed plant stem expands, causing the stems to crack.  Via capillary action, more water is drawn through the cracks, freezes when it hits the cold air, and forms long curls of ice like petals of a flower, ribbons, or other delicate, abstract sculptures.  Most often, they consist of longitudinal bands of fine ice threads at right angles to the stem.  These delicate flowers of the frost are fleeting in nature, and can only be found in early morning, as the rising temperature quickly melts them away. 

A prime example of crystallofolia.

Only a few species of plants exhibit this unique phenomenon, which has been called ‘crystallofolia’ by Bob Harmes at the University of Texas, from the Latin crystallus or ‘ice’ and folium or ‘leaf’.  Much is left to be discovered reading the purpose of this process, but further research by Dr. James Carter at Illinois State University has concluded that the ice formation often far exceeds the amount of moisture locally available within the plant’s stem, so it must be augmented by water drawn up from the roots.

Delicate curls can form when more plant moisture is available.

On the surface, fall may seem as if nature is shutting down for the winter, but take the time for a second look and you just might be surprised.  The first frost of the season is another intriguing part of the ongoing cycle of life and renewal for our native plants and animals.

Bag Ladies

Bagworm on Crepe Myrtle

While winter is the time of year when we hang man-made ornaments on our trees and shrubs to commemorate the holiday season, it is also the time of year when nature-made ornaments are most apparent in the landscape.  These ornaments are as widely unique as snowflakes, and their appearance varies with the bits and pieces of leaves, twigs, and bark fragments woven into silken bags in a shingle-like fashion.  They reveal themselves on the bare branches and limbs in winter, and they are created by female bagworms.

Bagworm on Anacacho Orchid Tree

Members of the Psychidae family, there are about 1,350 species of bagworms worldwide, also commonly known as bagworm moths or bagmoths. Although different bagworm species vary slightly in habits and life cycle, bagworms spend the winter months in the egg stage sealed within the bags produced by females the previous fall.  

In late May to early June, very tiny caterpillars hatch, produce a silken strand by which the wind can carry them to new foliage (called 'ballooning'), and construct a tiny conical bag carried upright with them as they move.  During leaf-feeding, the caterpillars emerge from the top of the bag and hang onto the host plant with their legs, sometimes aided with a silken thread. The bottom of the bag remains open to allow fecal material (called ‘frass’) to pass out of the bag. 



By August or September, fully grown caterpillars have developed larger bags, and pupate within them.  Seven to 10 days later, the pupae of the male moths work their way out of the bottom of the bag, and emerge from their pupal skin.  These males have half-inch long clear wings, feathery antennae, hairy black bodies, and they spend their time seeking out a female to mate.  Females, on the other hand, are immobile and stay in the larval stage, do not develop into moths, and remain inside the bags. After mating, the females produce a clutch of 500 to 1000 eggs inside their bodies and then die.    



Bagworm on Juniper

Bags vary in size, up to 2 inches long and about a half inch wide, and are spindle-shaped.  They can be quite ornamental, covered in a somewhat patterned array of bits and pieces of plant matter.  A wide range of broadleaf and evergreen trees and shrubs serve as hosts for bagworm species, including juniper, cedar elm, bald cypress, live oak, persimmon, sumac, sycamore, willow, yaupon, and native fruit and nut trees.  

Since these bags are composed of silk and plant materials, they are naturally camouflaged from predators such as birds and other insects.  While birds can eat the egg-laden bodies of female bagworms after they have died, the eggs are very hard-shelled and can pass through the bird's digestive system unharmed.  This represents yet another way to disperse bagworm species over a wide-ranging area, and helps in creating a whole new generation of bag ladies!

The Simple Beauty of Sparrows

White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys

Coming from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘spearwa’ and literally meaning ‘flutterer’, sparrows often conjure up images of the ubiquitous and non-native House sparrow and the House finch, which isn’t a sparrow at all.  While most sparrows are generally small to medium brown birds with streaks, the differences between sparrows can best be determined by their relative size, head markings, and habitat.

White-throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis

All sparrows have conical bills that they use to shell seeds, a primary component of their diet year-round, but especially so in the winter months.  There is little difference between the males and the females in terms of appearance, but males are on average larger than females.  As a group, most sparrows are birds of grasslands, prairies, and marshes, and seem to prefer weedy fields and woodland edges in the winter.  Of the sparrow species that migrate, none travel further than the southern United States or northern Mexico.

Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerina

One of our most common winter sparrows is the Chipping sparrow.  Small and slim, with a long notched tail, rusty cap, white stripe over the eye and a black line through the eye, this sparrow moves in loose flocks and frequently feeds in short grass and open woods.  While still fairly abundant, this sparrow is declining in numbers, mainly due to habitat destruction, and winters in the southern part of the United States.  When first identified in 1810 by an American ornithologist, it was nicknamed ‘the social sparrow’ for it was easily approached and associated with human habitation.

White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys 

A fairly large sparrow, the White-crowned sparrow is distinguished by its black and white striped head, unmarked gray breast, and dark pink bill.  It is found in large groups in thickets and weedy areas, foraging on the ground.  Discovered in 1772 by a German naturalist, this sparrow was originally named the ‘white-eyebrowed bunting’, for in the Old World, sparrows were usually called buntings. 

Found in a variety of grassy habitats, and often in small flocks, is the Savannah sparrow. Streaked on both their back and their breast, Savannah’s have pink legs, yellow above the eye, a thin white median crown stripe, and a short notched tail.  First described by a British ornithologist in 1790, it was called a ‘sandwich bunting’ due to the first specimens being collected from Sandwich Bay in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.   

Lincoln's Sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii

Lincoln’s sparrow is a medium-sized bird with a rather short tail, broad gray stripe above the eye, buffy moustache stripe, and a buffy upper breast with crisp, blackish streaks.  Found in winter in brushy edges of ponds and other moist areas, this sparrow was named by John James Audubon in 1833 after his research companion, Thomas Lincoln, shot the first specimen in Labrador.       

Sparrows are gregarious and are often our most hardy winter visitors.  Adorned in various shades of brown, gray, black, and white, they reflect the subdued hues of a winter landscape.  Often dismissed as ‘little brown birds’ when seen with the naked eye, these birds invite closer inspection and are nature’s way of reminding us that subtle colors and patterns can be beautiful, too!   

Winter Chorus

Clear and bell-like, consisting of a single, quickly repeated note, the call of the male Strecker’s Chorus Frog (Pseudacris streckeri) is unmistakable.  In the midst of winter, especially in the peak calling season from January to early March, multiple males call at the same time, their alternating notes resulting in an unexpectedly delightful winter chorus rising up from the canyons!

Reaching an adult length of 1 to 1.5 inches, this largest chorus frog is identified by a stout gray, brown, olive, or green body, a dark brown mask-like stripe through the eye and a dark spot under the eye, dark longitudinal stripes along the back, and a deep golden or orange color in the groin. Males are slightly smaller than females and have greenish-yellow vocal sacs.  The genus Pseudacris comes from the Greek pseudes meaning ‘false’ and akris meaning ‘locust’, and is likely a reference to the repeated rasping calls of most chorus frogs, which are similar to and can be mistaken for those of an insect.

Although Strecker’s Chorus Frog is mainly a nocturnal frog, its call can be heard day or night. Males call as they hang on to or sit on vegetation, or from the bank above the water’s surface. Typically feeding on insects, this chorus frog is seen most often in moist woodlands, rocky ravines, near streams or in swamps.  While its range includes portions of Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, the individuals in Texas are of the subspecies P.s. streckeri, and occur in most counties in the eastern half of our state.

Aside from its distinctive winter chorus, Strecker’s Chorus Frog is also distinguished by its ability to use its forelimbs to burrow headfirst, unlike other amphibians that typically use their hind legs to back into a burrow.  It burrows deeply in sand or mud and hides under rocks and woody debris to protect itself from heat and predators, emerging mainly after heavy rains. Following these rains, it migrates a short distance to a preferred breeding site.

Strecker’s Chorus Frog is a cold-tolerant, winter breeding frog, breeding anytime between November and March when rains are adequate. While most frogs prefer to breed in flowing water, Strecker’s Chorus Frog prefers still, clear, temporary water bodies such as ditches, ponds, and pools in wet weather creeks.  Females attach their small, jelly-covered clusters of eggs to vegetation below the water’s surface, and the time to hatch, while water temperature dependent, is usually just a few days.  Tadpoles take around two months to transform into adult chorus frogs.  In spring, at a time when most other frogs are just beginning to seek their breeding ponds, Strecker’s Chorus Frogs terminate their breeding activities.

Named after John Kern Strecker, Jr (1875 – 1933), a Texas naturalist and Curator of the Baylor University Museum (renamed the Strecker Museum in 1940 in his honor), this chorus frog with its peculiar and unusual habits and haunting winter chorus might have been a perfect candidate for “Strecker’s Cabinets of Curiosities”!  

If you’d like to see and hear the chorus for yourself, check out the video at https://texaswild.me/2014/03/31/streckers-chorus-frogs-calling/

Flowers of Ice

While many plants can be damaged or killed by freezing temperatures or frost, this varies by the type of plant and tissue exposed to these conditions.  In our region, there is a plant called Frostweed (Verbesina virginica), which is commonly found in low-lying areas near streams, creeks, canyon bottoms, and in dappled shade at woodland edges. 

For much of the year, Frostweed goes unnoticed while it grows tall and leafy, the top of each of its stalks crowned by clusters of small white flowers.  It begins to bloom in the August heat, and continues until first frost, well into fall.  In fact, this leggy plant is a rare late-season nectar and pollen source, as its blooms are a magnet for fall migrating hummingbirds and Monarch butterflies, as well as a host of other insects.

However, it is with the first frost or sub-freezing temperatures that this plant really puts on an unexpected show.  When temperatures dip, the water contained in each plant stem expands, causing the stems to crack.  Via capillary action, more water is drawn through the cracks, freezes when it hits the cold air, and forms long curls of ice, reminiscent of petals of an intricate flower or of a delicate, abstract sculpture.

These very delicate ice forms are fleeting in nature, and can only be found in early morning, as the rising temperature of the day quickly melts them away.