[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ountain City became a winter wonderland during the recent hard freeze, with icicles putting on spectacular shows. And, quietly, where the “frost weed” (Verbesina virginica) grows, magical and mystical ice flowers appeared.

A Wildflower Center educational email appeared as a freeze warning occurred the first week in January. It starts with, “Like nature’s popsicles, frostweed ice shows up during extreme weather and never fails to delight the senses. Lear...