Snowdrops - What's all the
So why is there an interest in
these dainty white flowers?
- We need to start with some
basics. Galanthus come in three leaf types. G. elwesii, below left, has
one leaf wrapped around the other - Convolute. G. plicatus, below right, has the leaf margins turned in - Plicate.
- Galanthus nivalis emerges from the
ground in the spring with it's leaves facing each other - Applanate.
Galanthus with nivalis and plicatus in their 'blood' have one or both
- How many snowdrops are there?
- Galanthus, Greek meaning Milk (Gala)
Flower (-anthos), grow across Europe into Russia and comprise of
19 species of which only a few are well known in cultivation. Snowdrop
fans, Galanthophiles, have managed to find and name over 500 cultivars
with many more grown but not officially named. They can be named after
where they are found, G. nivalis 'Blewbury Tart'
(below left), in memory of someone, Galanthus plicatus 'Sophie
middle) or just word association Galanthus 'Ding Dong' (below
right) named by Alan Street of Avon Bulbs.
- Ding Dong, Avon
- Are they really the harbingers of
- To the ordinary gardener yes they are
but a collector of Galanthus will tell you different. They actually
begin to flower in the autumn usually in late October. The best known of
these 'early' Snowdrops is G. reginae-olgae (below left) which
is named after Queen Olga from Greece. G. peshmenii flowers at this time
also. Both of these bulbs flower without or just a hint of their leaves.
Flowering later in November, depending on where you live, is G. elwesii
'Remember Remember' which is often open during the first week. Not so
for us living in the Midlands and North. G. plicatus 'Three Ships',
sings - I saw three ships come sailing by, is usually open for
Christmas or earlier depending in the weather. There is then a trickle
of snowdrops flowering from early January, again depending on location,
beginning with G. elwesii 'Hayden' (below right). By mid January
I usually have 15+ cultivars flowering. Have you ever picked a posy of
snowdrops and brought them inside in an egg cup 'vase'? They smell sweet
just like honey. Galanthus x allenii has a scent just like bitter
Almonds. Galanthus nivalis 'April Fool' is the last to flower but
not in all gardens.
- "They are just white flowers
with green bits!" I hear you say
- There are 'yellow' snowdrops
available out there if you don't mind forking out a bit more for them.
More on prices later. 'Yellow' snowdrops have regular white petals but
the green marks including the ovary, and sometimes the leaves, are
yellow or at least a very pale green. There are 3 well known in this
group. Galanthus nivalis Sandersii Group, Galanthus nivalis 'Lady
Elphinstone', a double which huffs when moved and reverts back to
green for a year or two, and Galanthus plicatus 'Wendy's Gold' (below
left). The most stunning 'yellow' is Galanthus plicatus 'Bill
Clarke' (below right). Galanthus nivalis Sandersii Group is the
most readily available but can be a bit difficult to keep going. Other
'yellows' include G. nivalis 'Blonde Inge', plicatus 'Primrose Warburg',
nivalis 'Ray Cobb' and 'Spindlestone Surprise'. The other extreme is
an almost all green flower e.g. G. nivalis 'Virescens' (below middle)
or G. nivalis 'Sandhill Gate' which is pure white and lacking the
green inner markings.
- How much will I expect to pay?
- This depends on how much you are
willing to pay or how deep your pockets are. Expect to pay around
£3.50/$6 for a readily available common snowdrop e.g 'S. Arnott' and up to £30/$50
for one that is in high demand e.g 'South Hayes'. The average bulb is
For more photos of snowdrops have a look at