Glory-of-the-snow

Glory-of-the-snow: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Small bulb about 15 cm tall. Each bulb forms a narrow clump that spreads by seed and by offsets.

Leaves

Two narrow, strap-like leaves per bulb, glossy green. They appear with the flowers and die back in May.

Flower

Upward-facing, star-shaped flowers 2–3 cm across, in March and April. Bright blue with a white centre; there are also pink and white forms.

Bulb

Small and egg-shaped, about 2 cm, with a brown, papery tunic.

Seed

Seed capsules with black seeds. Ants often carry them off, so new plants turn up some distance away.

Flowering: March–April · Plants: September–November

Why grow it?

• One of the first flowers of the year: in March and April it turns the garden bright blue, alongside snowdrops and crocuses.
• An early source of food for bees and bumblebees on sunny spring days.
• Naturalises easily: it seeds itself and forms a carpet within a few years.
• Ideal under deciduous shrubs and trees, because it flowers before the canopy closes.
• Small, cheap and tough; also lovely in a rock garden, in a lawn or in a pot.

Glory-of-the-snow: where does it grow best?

• Sun or part shade; under deciduous shrubs and trees it gets enough light in spring.
• Any well-drained garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Normally moist in spring; in summer it may be dry, because the bulb is dormant. Avoid waterlogging.
• Plant in groups of at least 10–25 bulbs, 5–8 cm apart: in a border, in grass, in a rock garden or under shrubs.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.15 m tall, 0.05 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Snowdrop: Flowers just before it and naturalises in the same spots under trees.
• Crocus: Yellow and purple crocuses flower at the same time and contrast nicely with the bright blue.
• Lenten rose: Large flowers in the same part shade, with glory-of-the-snow as a blue carpet at their feet.
• Hosta: The young leaves come up as glory-of-the-snow fades and take over the spot.
• Ferns: They unroll in late spring and hide the yellowing leaves.

Glory-of-the-snow: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–November.

1. Plant the bulbs from September to November, preferably early: small bulbs dry out quickly.
2. Plant them 8 cm deep, pointed end up. In heavy clay you can plant slightly shallower (5–6 cm) and add some coarse sand to the hole.
3. Space them 5–8 cm apart. Scatter them loosely and plant them where they fall for a natural effect.
4. In a lawn: lift a piece of turf, place a small group of bulbs underneath and replace the turf.
5. Firm the soil and water if it is dry.

Care

Water

Usually not needed: autumn and spring rain is enough. Water in a dry spring and keep the compost in a pot lightly moist.

Feeding

Not needed in ordinary garden soil. On poor soil you can spread a little compost after flowering.

Foliage

Let the leaves turn yellow after flowering: this lets the bulb build up reserves for next year.

Mowing

Do not mow the grass around the bulbs until six weeks after flowering, when the leaves are yellow.

Self-seeding

If you want it to naturalise, leave the spent flowers. If you do not want seedlings, cut them off.

Tip: Plant it 8 cm deep in small groups under deciduous shrubs and let it do its own thing. In grass or a rock garden, wait to mow until the leaves are yellow.

Glory-of-the-snow: when to prune it?

When: Glory-of-the-snow is not pruned. After flowering you simply leave it alone.

How:

• Leave the spent flowers in place if you want it to self-seed.
• If you do not want seedlings, cut off the spent stems in April, but leave the leaves.
• Let the leaves die back completely and clear them away only when they come away by themselves.

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

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

It seeds itself. You can also sow it yourself: scatter ripe seed in June where you want it, or in a pot left outdoors. Seedlings flower after a few years.

Division

Lift dense clumps in June, when the leaves have died back, or in September. Separate the offsets and replant them straight away.

Glory-of-the-snow: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy down to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• It needs a cold winter to flower well in spring.
• In a pot or trough: stand it outdoors in a sheltered spot and make sure the compost does not become waterlogged.

Diseases and pests

• No flowers: The leaves were mown or cut off too early, or the bulbs are too crowded or in too much shade. Let the leaves die back and divide crowded clumps.
• Dried-out bulbs: Bulbs that have been lying about too long do not come up well. Buy them in September and plant them straight away.
• Slugs: They sometimes nibble young leaves and flowers in a wet spring. Pick them off in the evening.
• Too many seedlings: In a tidy border it pops up everywhere. After flowering, cut off the stems with seed capsules.

Through the year

• February: The first leaf tips appear.
• March: Flowering begins. Bees collect nectar and pollen.
• April: Full flower. If you do not want seedlings, cut off the spent stems.
• May: Let the leaves die back. Do not mow the grass around the bulbs yet.
• June: Leaves have died back: you may mow now. Divide dense clumps or scatter seed.
• September: Plant new bulbs, 8 cm deep.
• October: Plant under shrubs, in grass or in the border.
• November: Last chance to plant.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of squills and glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa, now included in Scilla) are poisonous, especially the small bulbs: they can cause vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea, in children as well as in dogs and cats. The bulbs look like little onions: never store them with the vegetables or the kitchen onions, and keep loose bulbs out of reach of children and pets. They seed themselves freely, in borders, under shrubs and in the lawn: do not plant them where your dog digs, and do not let horses, sheep or goats graze where they grow in large drifts. Wash your hands after planting. 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 Chionodoxa comes from the Greek chion (snow) and doxa (glory): literally ‘glory of the snow’, because it flowers as soon as the snow melts.
• DNA research has led botanists to place Chionodoxa in the genus Scilla. In garden centres you still often find it under the old name.
• The seeds carry a nutritious appendage that attracts ants; they carry the seeds away, and so the plant spreads through the garden.