An unexpected Iris starts growing
Very early Iris
In this ice-bound and snow-bound time of year, I expect skunk cabbage to boil its way out of frozen circumstances, and I'm never surprised to spot late-winter witch hazel and the first crocuses in flower. But I was shocked to see an Iris shoot happily pushing its way out of the frigid water, which, until a couple of days ago, was solidly frozen. As near as I can determine, Iris species are not able to generate their own heat, a la skunk cabbage, but maybe no one has looked very hard. Certainly the Siberian Iris species that grow in my garden are exceptionally early bloomers, so maybe this group of plants also has that magically ability to warm up the later-winter world. I'm just not sure how these hopeful leaves are going to manage to avoid frostbite.