Pleated snowdrop

Pleated snowdrop: how do you recognise it?

Habit

A small bulb 15–20 cm tall and about 8 cm wide, forming clumps.

Leaves

Fairly broad, blue-green with a pale stripe, the margins folded downwards (‘pleated’).

Flowers

Nodding white bells with green markings on the inner petals, in February and March.

Bulb

A small, round bulb that produces bulblets year after year and so makes clumps.

Dormancy

The leaves die back in May–June; in summer the bulb rests underground.

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

Why grow it?

• Flowers in February and March, when almost nothing else is in bloom in the garden.
• Vigorous and sturdy: one of the easier snowdrops for an ordinary garden.
• The pleated, blue-green foliage is a handsome feature in itself.
• Bees and bumblebees are the first to take nectar from the flowers on mild days.
• Returns year after year and forms ever larger clumps without any upkeep.

Pleated snowdrop: where does it grow best?

• Partial or light shade, for example under deciduous trees and shrubs; sun in spring is no problem.
• Humus-rich sandy, loamy or clay soil, neutral to chalky.
• Normally moist: in summer the soil may be a little drier, but not bone dry.
• Plant 8–10 cm apart, in groups or drifts.

Light

Partial shade and 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: Yellow flowers that bloom at the same time and contrast prettily with the white.
• Lenten rose: Large flowers in shady corners, with the same early spring.
• Lungwort: Pink and blue flowers that follow a little later, with foliage that fills the spot in summer.
• Ferns: They unfurl their fronds as the snowdrop dies back and fill the gap.

Pleated snowdrop: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March and September–October.

1. Plant ideally ‘in the green’ in March, shortly after flowering, while the leaves are still green: these plants establish best.
2. Dry bulbs can be planted in September–October, but they dry out quickly and are less likely to establish. Plant them straight after buying.
3. Dig a hole 5–8 cm deep and mix in some leaf mould.
4. Plant bulbs ‘in the green’ at the same depth as they were growing: up to the white part of the stem.
5. Keep 8–10 cm between the bulbs and water thoroughly after planting.
6. Spread a layer of leaf mould over the spot.

Care

Watering

Water thoroughly after planting. After that only during a long dry spell in spring.

Feeding

Not needed; a layer of leaf mould after flowering is enough.

Mulching

Leave the fallen leaves of deciduous trees where they lie, or spread leaf mould over the spot.

Leaves

Leave the leaves until they turn yellow by themselves: this is how the bulb refills its reserves.

Spent flowers

Leave them: the plant self-seeds and so forms larger colonies.

Tip: Divide dense clumps after flowering, while the leaves are still green, and replant the pieces straight away: that is how they multiply fastest.

Pleated snowdrop: when to prune it?

When: This snowdrop is not pruned. At most you tidy away the dead leaves in May–June.

How:

• Do not cut anything while the leaves are green.
• Remove dead leaves only once they come away easily.
• If you do not want seedlings, cut off the seed pods as soon as the flowers have faded.

Caution: Do not mow or cut the leaves before they have turned yellow: the bulb needs them to flower next year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Dividing in the green

After flowering, in March, while the leaves are still green: lift a dense clump, separate the bulblets and replant them straight away at the same depth.

Seed

Let the plant self-seed, or sow fresh seed in May–June in a pot. It takes a few years for the seedlings to flower.

Pleated 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 flop, but they recover when the weather thaws.
• In a pot: put it in a sheltered spot and protect the pot from freezing through.

Diseases and pests

• Grey mould: Grey fuzz on leaves and flowers, and the leaves shrivel. Remove affected plants and put them in the household waste; allow space and air.
• Bulbs fail to come up: Dry bulbs that have been in the shop for a long time often fail to establish. Plant in the green instead, or plant fresh bulbs at once.
• Bulb rot: The bulb turns soft and the leaves yellow early. It is usually too wet; improve the drainage.
• Slugs: They eat leaves and buds in early spring. Collect them in the evening.

Through the year

• January: The first leaf tips and buds appear.
• February: Flowering begins. Do not walk over the spot.
• March: In flower. After flowering, divide clumps and plant ‘in the green’.
• April: The leaves stay green: leave them alone.
• May: The leaves turn yellow. Do not mow.
• June: Summer dormancy. Tidy away dead leaves.
• September: Plant dry bulbs, ideally straight after buying.
• October: Plant bulbs. Spread leaf mould.
• December: The buds lie ready underground.

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?

• The name Galanthus comes from Greek and means ‘milk flower’.
• The species name plicatus is Latin for ‘folded’ and refers to the folded leaf margins.
• The story goes that soldiers brought bulbs home after the Crimean War (1853–1856), which is how the species reached British gardens.