By Cathy Krar, Master Gardener In-Training, SCMG
It is with a little sadness that I watch the snowdrops fade for another year. While out walking, my friend commented, “Oh, it’s just a snowdrop.” Indeed, the Galanthus is an herbaceous perennial, but it is more than worthy of our respect and admiration.
World-wide, the Galanthus trade relies heavily on collections from the wild, especially G. elwesii and G. woronowii; however, G. nivalis populations often come from naturalized colonies. In March, I excitedly tore open an envelope post-marked from Romania. Inside I found 6 tiny G. elwesii bulbs and two G. woronowii. Too late for any display this year, but perhaps with the spring through winter below-ground dormancy over the next 11 months, there will be a reason to applaud my $43. investment.
The arrangement of the leaves in bud is called vernation. There are 3 possible leaf arrangements in Galanthus:
A) Applanate (flat, which resembles thick grass)
B) Explicative (‘plicate” or folded)
C) Supervolute (rolled up leaf within the bud)
Galanthus with applanate leaves:
Galanthus with explicative leaves:
Galanthus with supervolute leaves:
And while the variation of leaf arrangements that exist with Snowdrop are interesting, it becomes even more fascinating with the variations of snowdrop flowers. Attached to the stalk or scape is the spathe that shields the flower-bud overtop. The flower hangs freely on a pedicel with 6 petal-like perianth segments. It is the inner and outer perianth segments that are so unusual, with the outer petals hanging well below the inner segments. The inner segment is characterised by an inverted ‘V’ or “sinus” area. Here the green or yellow markings may be distinctive, or highly unusual, or in rare instances non-existent.
As the temperatures climb, the outer perianth opens outward and upward, opening the flower up to pollinating insects. Mid-April is an excellent time to divide or transplant snowdrops. The importance of digging and planting deeply must be stressed… at least 10 cm. deep and 10 cm. apart. Snowdrops don’t like shallow planting!
There are 18 different Galanthus species, plus sub-species and more than 600 cultivars (named forms). When I mention this tidbit to my friend, she smiles and says, “Perhaps there is a reason to look forward to late winter gardens. It seems a snowdrop is not just a snowdrop”.
Sources:
Bishop, Matt, Aaron Davis & John Grimshaw. Snowdrops: A Monograph of Cultivated Galanthus.
The Griffin Press, 2001.
Bixley, Brian. Minding the Garden. Friesen Press, 2020.
