Giant snowdrop

Giant snowdrop: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Clumps 15–20 cm tall; each bulb produces two leaves and one flower stem.

Leaves

Broad, blue-grey and slightly ridged; at the base one leaf wraps around the other.

Flower

Nodding white bells with three long outer petals and three short inner ones, from January to March.

Markings

The inner petals have a green mark at the tip and often a second at the base; sometimes the two merge into one large mark.

Bulb

Small, white, egg-shaped bulb. It dries out quickly and then establishes poorly.

Flowering: January–March · Plants: March and September–October

Why grow it?

• One of the first flowers of the year, from as early as January.
• Large, eye-catching flowers that you can see from a distance.
• On mild winter days a welcome source of pollen and nectar for the first bees.
• Tolerates more sun and drought than the common snowdrop.
• Slowly spreads into handsome clumps, under shrubs or in grass.

Giant snowdrop: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; under deciduous shrubs and trees it gets light when it needs it.
• Humus-rich, well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, neutral to chalky.
• Normally moist; in summer it copes with more drought than the common snowdrop.
• Plant 5–10 cm apart, in groups of ten or more for a natural look.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.2 m tall, 0.08 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Winter aconite: Little yellow flowers in the same weeks, together a cheerful winter carpet.
• Christmas rose: Large white flowers in the same partial shade.
• Crocus: Early crocuses in purple and yellow beside the white bells.
• Ferns: The fresh fronds take over the spot when the snowdrop dies down.
• Witch hazel: Fragrant winter flowers above a carpet of snowdrops.

Giant snowdrop: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March and September–October.

1. Ideally plant ‘in the green’: in March, just after flowering, while the leaves are still green.
2. Or plant dry bulbs as soon as you buy them in September–October; the longer they wait, the worse they establish.
3. Plant dry bulbs 5–8 cm deep. When planting in the green, set the plant at the same depth as before: the white part of the stem shows you how deep.
4. Space bulbs or small clumps 5–10 cm apart.
5. Water in and scatter some leaf mould over the spot.

Care

Watering

Not needed in the garden; only water in after planting in the green in dry weather.

Feeding

Not needed. A layer of leaf mould in autumn keeps the soil open and fertile.

Leaves

Let the leaves turn yellow naturally after flowering; only mow or rake once they have died back completely.

Leave alone

Leave the spot undisturbed in summer and do not dig there: the bulbs are shallow.

Tip: Plant a small group right by a window or the front door: that way you will see the first flowers in January, even if you do not go out into the garden.

Giant snowdrop: when to prune it?

When: No pruning is needed. Let the leaves die back naturally after flowering, from March to May.

How:

• Cut nothing while the leaves are green: this is how the bulb recharges for next year.
• If you want it to self-seed, leave the faded flowers as well.
• Remove dead leaves in May–June if they bother you.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

Lift crowded clumps in March, just after flowering. Gently pull them apart into smaller groups and replant them straight away at the same depth.

Seed

It self-seeds; ants help to spread the seeds. Seedlings flower after three to four years.

Giant snowdrop: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C; no protection needed.
• In hard frost the flowers and leaves collapse, but they stand up again when it thaws.
• In a pot: keep it outside and do not let the compost dry out completely in summer. After flowering you can plant it out in the border.

Diseases and pests

• Bulbs fail to appear: Dried-out bulbs that were stored too long. Buy them fresh in September or plant in the green.
• Grey mould: Grey, fluffy mould on leaves and flowers and rotting bulbs, especially in mild, damp weather. Dig up affected plants and throw them away, not on the compost heap.
• Narcissus fly: Grubs eat the bulb from the inside and the plant fades away. Dig up soft bulbs and destroy them.
• Few flowers: Clumps too crowded or a spot that is too dark. Divide the clumps after flowering.

Through the year

• January: First flowers. Nothing to do but enjoy them.
• February: Full flower. Bees on mild days.
• March: End of flowering. Plant and divide in the green.
• April: Leave the leaves alone.
• May: The leaves die back; only mow afterwards.
• September: Buy dry bulbs and plant them straight away.
• October: Plant the last dry bulbs. Scatter leaf mould.
• December: The first noses push through the soil.

Edible and useful

Not edible. The small bulbs of snowdrops and snowflakes are poisonous and look like little onions: never store them with the vegetables. They cause vomiting and diarrhoea, in dogs and cats too. Wear gloves when moving lots of bulbs: the sap can irritate the skin. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• It is named after the English plant collector Henry John Elwes, who introduced it from Turkey to English gardens in the 19th century.
• Galanthus means milk flower, from the Greek gala, milk, and anthos, flower.
• All snowdrops are listed by CITES, the treaty that regulates international trade in endangered plants. So buy cultivated bulbs.