Summer snowflake

Summer snowflake: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Clumps of upright leaves and flower stems, 40–50 cm tall and about 15 cm wide.

Leaves

Long, strap-shaped and glossy dark green; die back in summer.

Flower

Two to eight nodding bells per stem, in April and May.

Colour

White, with a green dot at the tip of each petal.

Bulb

Medium-sized and brown; readily produces new bulbs and so forms dense clumps.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: September–October

Why grow it?

• One of the few bulbs for wet, heavy soil, banks and pond edges.
• Flowers in April–May, after the snowdrops and with the late daffodils.
• Tough and long-lived: the clumps get bigger every year.
• A lovely cut flower with a fresh green and white look.
• Bees visit the flowers in spring.

Summer snowflake: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade.
• Heavy, moisture-retentive soil: loam, clay or peaty soil, neutral to chalky.
• Moist to wet: happy at a pond edge, on a bank or in damp grass.
• Plant in groups, 10–15 cm apart.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Loam, clay or peat

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

0.5 m tall, 0.15 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Marsh marigold: Golden yellow next to white at the pond edge, at the same time.
• Snake’s-head fritillary: Another bulb for damp grass, with chequered purple bells.
• Yellow flag iris: Tall, sword-shaped leaves for the same wet bank.
• Water forget-me-not: Small pale blue flowers at their feet, in wet soil.

Summer snowflake: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–October.

1. Plant in September or October.
2. In poor or dry soil, work in some compost.
3. Plant the bulbs about 10 cm deep, pointed end up.
4. Space them 10–15 cm apart, in groups of five or more.
5. Firm the soil and water if it is dry.

Care

Water

Not needed on wet ground. Elsewhere, do not let the soil dry out in spring while it is growing.

Feeding

A little compost around the clumps in March.

Leaves

Let the leaves yellow after flowering; only then cut or mow them.

Support

Usually not needed; in shade the stems may lean a little after rain.

Cutting

Cut stems for the vase when the first bell opens.

Tip: Plant summer snowflakes in a wet spot where other bulbs rot, such as a bank or damp grass. ‘Gravetye Giant’ is larger and sturdier than the ordinary species.

Summer snowflake: when to prune it?

When: Summer snowflake is not pruned.

How:

• Cut off the spent stems in June if you do not want seed; leave them if it may self-seed.
• Let the leaves yellow and only remove them once they are yellow, in June–July.

Caution: Do not cut the leaves while they are green: the bulb needs them to flower next year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

Every four to five years, lift crowded clumps once the leaves have died back (July) or in September. Separate the bulbs and replant them straight away.

Seed

Sow ripe seed in summer in a pot of moist compost left outdoors. Seedlings take several years to flower.

Summer snowflake: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C: no protection needed.
• Copes with wet soil in winter, where many other bulbs rot.
• In a pot: stand the pot in a sheltered spot against a wall and wrap it in hessian in severe frost.

Diseases and pests

• Few flowers: The clumps are too crowded or spring was too dry. Divide the bulbs and water in spring.
• Slugs: Eat leaves and flowers. Pick them off in the evening.
• Narcissus fly: The grub eats the bulb from the inside; you see weak, grassy shoots without flowers. Dig up affected bulbs and throw them away.

Through the year

• March: Leaves and buds appear. Scatter compost.
• April: Flowering. Cut stems for the vase.
• May: Flowering. Afterwards, cut off spent stems or let them set seed.
• June: Let the leaves yellow.
• July: Foliage has died back. Divide crowded clumps.
• September: Plant bulbs, about 10 cm deep.
• October: Plant at the pond edge or in damp grass.

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 difference from a snowdrop: in summer snowflake all six petals are the same length, while in a snowdrop the three inner ones are much shorter.
• ‘Gravetye Giant’ is named after Gravetye Manor in England, the garden of the garden writer William Robinson.
• The seeds can float, so in the wild the plant spreads along rivers with the water.