Does galanthus nivalis spread?
As they flower so early, snowdrops do not rely on pollinators to reproduce. Instead, they spread via bulb division. However, they may still be visited by bees and other insects on a particularly warm day. Like many spring ephemerals, seeds of snowdrops must be planted immediately and cannot be allowed to dry out. Seeds of this type are understandably difficult to find in commerce. The best way to obtain them is to grow bulbs and compete with the ants for the seeds.Snowdrop bulbs are very prone to drying out, so if sourcing bulbs from a nursery or garden centre is the only option, buy them as soon as they are available and plant immediately. Plant snowdrops in a partly-shaded position in a moist, but well-drained soil with leafmould or garden compost incorporated.Either way, the free and most sustainable way to increase your snowdrop numbers is to divide some of your existing clumps. One thing the covid pandemic taught us all is the way exponential growth works. Snowdrop bulbs will multiply every year, increasing by an extra 1 – 3 bulbs or so per existing bulb in your garden.The ideal time to plant snowdrop bulbs is during the autumn season, usually between September and November.
How do you grow Galanthus nivalis?
Snowdrop grows best in full sun to part shade in clay or loam soil with high organic matter. The site needs good drainage although snowdrop will tolerate a site that is occasionally wet. Propagate snowdrop by division or stem cutting. Growing snowdrops from seed is an interesting way of increasing your plants, as you are never quite sure what the outcome will be. In order for the plant to produce seeds it has to be fertilised/pollinated, that is, pollen has to attach itself to the stigma.Snowdrops in the green should be planted in February or March, whereas dry snowdrop bulbs should be planted in October or November. Dry snowdrop bulbs can sometimes be trickier to establish than bulbs in the green.As they flower so early, snowdrops do not rely on pollinators to reproduce. Instead, they spread via bulb division. However, they may still be visited by bees and other insects on a particularly warm day.It can take up to seven years for a snowdrop seedling to reach flowering stage. This is why we tend to buy them as bulbs, ready to flower the year after they are planted.Double-flowered snowdrops, in particular, are sterile so this is the only way they can reproduce. Some other varieties are self-fertile so they can produce their own seed and as the little seeds ripen in the pod they excrete substances attractive to ants which distribute the seeds underground, another successful ploy!
Do Galanthus come back every year?
Snowdrops are the very first flowers of spring, often blooming when there is still snow on the ground. These hardy, fall-planted bulbs are easy to grow and will multiply over time to provide a carpet of beautiful blooms every year. Snowdrops are best planted at the depth that they grew previously: the white part of the leaf stem was underground, the green part above ground. If in doubt, 8-10cm will be about right. Most people want to enjoy the sight of nice clumps without delay, so plant 3-5 bulbs together.However, the bulbs themselves are poisonous to humans and can cause nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting if eaten. This perhaps led to the superstition that a single Snowdrop bloom in a house can bring death.Snowdrops are a woodland plant, which means their ideal growing conditions are partial shade, moist but well-drained soil. This is important because if the soil is too dry, and the bulbs dry out, there is a real risk they will fail the following year.
Where does galanthus nivalis grow?
Common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) Native to almost all of Europe, it can be found growing in woods and by streams. Among the choicest varieties are ‘Atkinsii’, which is very early blooming, and ‘Flore Pleno’, which is double-flowered. They can grow in shade or sun. Snowdrops will thrive best in good loose soil, improved with compost or leaf-mould. They don’t like waterlogged soil but due to their long roots will usually tolerate soil that is on the dry side in summer as long as it isn’t completely dry or baked hard.