Bulb
Snowdrop
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in January | Flowers in February | Flowers in March | |||||||||
| Plant | Plant in February | Plant in March | Plant in September | Plant in October | ||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in January | Looks good in February | Looks good in March |
Overview
Few flowers are as welcome as the first nodding white bells pushing through cold soil in January. The common snowdrop is small, tough and long-lived, and a handful of bulbs will slowly build into drifts over a decade. Each flower has three pure white outer petals and a shorter inner tube marked with a green notch. Once you are hooked, look out for the double 'Flore Pleno', the scented Galanthus 'S. Arnott' or the larger-leaved Galanthus elwesii, which copes with slightly drier spots.
Where to grow snowdrop
Think woodland edge: dappled shade, soil that stays moist through spring and a summer rest under a leafy canopy. Beneath deciduous shrubs, along a hedge bottom or in rough grass that is not cut until early summer are all ideal. Avoid hot, dry beds that bake in summer.
Planting
Buy snowdrops 'in the green', meaning plants that have just flowered and still have leaves, in February or March. Plant them at the same depth as before (look for the pale band on the stem), firm in and water. Dry bulbs sold in autumn shrivel easily; if you buy them, soak them overnight and plant straight away, 8–10cm deep.
Care through the year
Spring
Leave the foliage to yellow and die down naturally, as this feeds next year's flowers. A light mulch of leaf mould once leaves fade is welcome.
Summer
Bulbs are dormant. Don't dig the area or let it dry out completely in a heatwave if the soil is very sandy.
Autumn
Mark clumps so you don't disturb them when planting other bulbs. Spread leaf mould over the area to mimic a woodland floor.
Winter
Enjoy the flowers. Brush away heavy snow if it flattens them; they usually spring back once it melts.
Pruning
No pruning is needed. Simply let the leaves wither in their own time rather than tying, cutting or mowing them early.
Propagation
Lift crowded clumps with a fork just after flowering, tease them into smaller groups of three to five bulbs and replant immediately. Snowdrops also seed themselves gently where conditions suit, and ants help carry the seed around.
Common problems
Grey mould can rot bulbs in waterlogged or poorly drained ground; improve drainage or move them. Narcissus bulb fly occasionally attacks snowdrops. Plants that come up blind usually need dividing or are sitting in too much summer drought.
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in February, March, September and October. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.