Montana Outdoors

May 8, 2013

Early morning jewelry

Filed under: Nature, Spring — Tags: , — montucky @ 8:19 pm

Field Horsetail

Field Horsetail

Field Horsetail

Field horsetail, Equisetum arvense

To see these displaying their jewelry, you must find them at just the right stage of their development and catch them early in the morning after a cool night when the humidity has been just right. For some reason tiny drops of dew will form on them and on nothing else around.

55 Comments »

  1. Wow! Pretty spectacular…

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    Comment by Roberta — May 8, 2013 @ 8:28 pm

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    • They really are. I usually see them only about once a year.

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      Comment by montucky — May 8, 2013 @ 9:52 pm

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  2. I’ll take a few of those beady necklaces! Reminds me of the Queen’s emeralds.

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    Comment by wordsfromanneli — May 8, 2013 @ 8:30 pm

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  3. Those really glisten…better than diamonds.

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    Comment by knightofswords — May 8, 2013 @ 8:36 pm

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    • I think they are too. I hold water in reverence anyway for giving us life but it also brings great beauty.

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      Comment by montucky — May 8, 2013 @ 9:59 pm

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  4. What an exquisite photo…truly the jewels of our next generation.

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    Comment by Charlie@Seattle Trekker — May 8, 2013 @ 10:19 pm

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  5. Magnificent! Harry Winston, eat your heart out….

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    Comment by Teresa Evangeline — May 8, 2013 @ 10:46 pm

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  6. The clarity is amazing! Those are definitely stunning.

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    Comment by Candace — May 8, 2013 @ 11:10 pm

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    • I think they are too. I wish I knew more about how that happens.

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      Comment by montucky — May 9, 2013 @ 9:22 pm

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  7. I am speechless when seeing how beautiful. Fantastic shot!

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    Comment by Sartenada — May 9, 2013 @ 12:30 am

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    • Thanks Matti! I was very excited the first time I saw these.

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      Comment by montucky — May 9, 2013 @ 9:23 pm

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  8. Well done for capturing this! More beautiful than anything man-made.

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    Comment by Jo Woolf — May 9, 2013 @ 12:55 am

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    • They do have their own kind of simple elegance, don’t they.

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      Comment by montucky — May 9, 2013 @ 9:24 pm

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  9. That’s interesting. Many horsetails are more sand (silica) than anything else. I wonder what attracts the moisture and why the beads form where they do. More mysteries to ponder.

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    Comment by New Hampshire Gardener — May 9, 2013 @ 4:20 am

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  10. I think they were designed to do that. Very beautiful indeed! I’m glad you were there under the right conditions to capture it and share it with us.

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    Comment by jomegat — May 9, 2013 @ 5:51 am

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    • So many of the designs in the natural world are amazing. Especially the combination of practicality and beauty.

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      Comment by montucky — May 9, 2013 @ 9:28 pm

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  11. very unusual shot — and very artistic as well!

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    Comment by Sue — May 9, 2013 @ 6:44 am

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    • Rather difficult to shoot, but worth the effort. I’ve seen them in previous years, but encountered them at a slightly less advanced stage.

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      Comment by montucky — May 9, 2013 @ 9:29 pm

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  12. WOW what a great find!!! Right time, right place for sure!

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    Comment by dhphotosite — May 9, 2013 @ 6:52 am

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    • There must be a critical combination of humidity and temperature as part of the circumstances necessary for this to happen, and the drops disappear very soon after the sun reaches them.

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      Comment by montucky — May 9, 2013 @ 9:31 pm

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  13. WOW! Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

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    Comment by Elizabeth — May 9, 2013 @ 7:00 am

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    • I think they are beautiful too! Thanks for stopping to comment!

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      Comment by montucky — May 9, 2013 @ 9:32 pm

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  14. Hi Montucky, Very cool pictures. I really enjoy dew – although my shoes do not. Have a wonderful day tomorrow!

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    Comment by wildlifewatcher — May 9, 2013 @ 5:38 pm

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    • I’m always grateful for dew in the mornings. Have a great Friday!

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      Comment by montucky — May 9, 2013 @ 9:34 pm

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  15. What a beautiful plant. Interesting, too. I went looking and discovered there only are three states where it’s not found: Louisiana, Florida and Hawaii. I think we could draw some conclusions from that! On the USDA site, there’s another photo with the diamond-dew, but it’s not nearly as beautiful as yours.

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    Comment by shoreacres — May 9, 2013 @ 7:28 pm

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    • Perhaps catching the dew is part of their survival strategy and maybe a good one, since their distribution is so wide. I saw the photo on the USDA site. It was taken when the plant was more developed and the drops aren’t as pronounced.

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      Comment by montucky — May 9, 2013 @ 9:38 pm

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  16. What a lovely, fascinating plant! Such gorgeous images, too…. 🙂

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    Comment by FeyGirl — May 9, 2013 @ 7:42 pm

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  17. That is a spectacular plant; reminds me of a champagne-glasses drinking fountain, you know, what one usually saw at spectacular parties. The dewdrops phenomenon must be investigated, montucky!!! 😉 Beautiful photos, especially the bottom pic, my fave.

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    Comment by janina — May 9, 2013 @ 11:25 pm

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    • Yes, I hope some day to find an article somewhere that explains what the strategy is for that and how the drops form. It’s difficult to find information like taht.

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      Comment by montucky — May 10, 2013 @ 9:22 pm

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  18. Absolutely exquisite! Yes -they look like diamonds!!!

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    Comment by Marcie — May 10, 2013 @ 6:10 am

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    • Some of nature’s displays are as beautiful as they are mysterious, aren’t they!

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      Comment by montucky — May 10, 2013 @ 9:24 pm

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  19. Ah, as precious a little diamonds!

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    Comment by Bo Mackison (@bo_mackison) — May 10, 2013 @ 2:20 pm

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    • I think their freshness and purity sets them apart from traditional pieces of jewelry.

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      Comment by montucky — May 10, 2013 @ 9:31 pm

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  20. horsetail is so beautiful dressed like this. beautiful photos Montucky!

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    Comment by Tammie — May 10, 2013 @ 4:37 pm

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    • Wouldn’t it be nice if we could sparkle like that once in awhile too!

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      Comment by montucky — May 10, 2013 @ 9:32 pm

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  21. your pictures are really gorgeous! I think you are getting better and better. love seeing your “calendar” as it goes through the year. pretty amazing!

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    Comment by skouba — May 10, 2013 @ 8:31 pm

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    • Thank you Stacey! I guess many of my posts do form a sort of calendar, don’t they.

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      Comment by montucky — May 10, 2013 @ 9:34 pm

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  22. I keep coming back to this sequence of images and admiring them again. What magic! Thanks so much for being there and noticing.

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    Comment by Harold Rhenisch — May 10, 2013 @ 10:36 pm

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    • I’m glad that you have enjoyed the images Harold. They make me wonder what else I’ve been missing.

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      Comment by montucky — May 11, 2013 @ 9:42 pm

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  23. They look like drops of jewels.

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    Comment by Evangeline Art Photography — May 11, 2013 @ 10:05 pm

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    • I think many princesses would be very pleased to have jewelry that attractive!

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      Comment by montucky — May 11, 2013 @ 10:58 pm

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  24. Just gorgeous…..

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    Comment by seekraz — May 12, 2013 @ 11:06 am

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  25. That’s my kind of bling!

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    Comment by Scott — May 13, 2013 @ 3:19 pm

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  26. Love these gems!

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    Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — May 14, 2013 @ 2:50 pm

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  27. How beautiful nature is….
    Proving once again that the best things in life are free.

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    Comment by Mary Strong-Spaid — May 30, 2013 @ 9:12 pm

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    • Unlimited beauty. Yes, I think that all of the very best things are free, at least in the monetary sense.

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      Comment by montucky — May 30, 2013 @ 10:12 pm

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