Galanthus

Availability and listing

New listing for delivery July 2013 onwards

Our Snowdrop listing is available here on our website early in the year. The new list is usually put up in January-February and updated over the weeks following as stocks flower and are counted.

The rarer forms, of which we have only small numbers, are usually only listed on the website (and not in paper lists) as our online sales can be monitored accurately. There is no printed list of the rarities and many sell out quickly online as there are so very few of them.

Larger stocks are listed here as well but they are also included in our main printed bulb catalogue, in June, though of course the selection is, by then, much reduced.

If you order Galanthus in Spring, you can also order other plants from our Spring list and there is no extra postage to pay.

All of our Snowdrops are delivered, damp-packed and freshly lifted, from our own stocks during leaf dormancy from about July to about Oct-Nov.

We do not ever sell "In-The-Green".

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Galanthus allenii

(perryi)

It is always good to have had enough of this rare plant to list. A large, and strong snowdrop here with very broad, glaucescent leaves and lovely, large pristine white flowers from January onwards. These are lightly almond scented.

This is the true plant that clumps slowly here under light semi-shade in simulated woodland conditions, but tolerant and not difficult.

Probably a wild hybrid, but found just once in the Caucasus in 1883 (or just once in gardens if you accept the alternative story) this has remained in cultivation ever since.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus alpinus bortkewitschianus

Whilst the type plant (alpinus alpinus) is widespread in the wild, bortkewitschianus is limited to just one population. This occupies an area of about 6 hectares, where it reproduces vegetatively only as it is triploid, and sterile. Since it sets no seed it is more vigorous and larger.

Like the type species, it increases only slowly, but it does make some increase and this has remained in cultivation for 60 odd years since its discovery.

A very distinct miniature species with slightly elongated, yellow bulbs, unlike those of the type plant.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus April Fool

(nivalis April Fool)

This is a nice, single flowered clone with the inner segments marked with a typical inverted deep green V. It is a good grower and extends the flowering season of the nivalis forms in the garden.

It is widely reputed to be the very last snowdrop to flower but this is not the case. It may be the latest of the nivalis forms, but several elwesii and plicatus clones are considerably later and April Fool is not always the last nivalis in every garden.

The April Fool joke is that in most years, this flowers in March anyway. The fairest comment I have seen is that it starts to flower as all of the other nivalis forms are finishing flowering and going over.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus Atkinsii

This vigorous selection has large, slender flowers which the Galanthus "bible" suggests are like Elizabethan pearl-drop earrings. It soon makes a good clump and is one of the best and most reliable of the garden Snowdrops. It is a lovely thing, doing well in most gardens. It is lightly scented in sunshine.

It originated in the garden of James Atkins, at Painswick, in Gloucester. Atkins maintained he did not know the source, but Allen, in 1891, said that Atkins got it from the Naples area. It was Allen who named it for Atkins!

At some point in its history, a second plant was offered by James Backhouse of York, as this form. This stock was known to throw a rare flower with a forth petal or a narrow segment. The two are barely distinguishable and both have been very widely grown as, Atkinsii for over 150 years. It is the origin of the idea that Atkinsii itself throws a deformed flower now and again, but that is not correct. This second plant has now been named "James Backhouse".

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus Blewbury Tart

A very unusual double form with a central rosette of deep emerald green. These inner segments are almost entirely green, with just a thin white edge and they are expanded and open so that the inner whorl merges into the outer ring of three white petals which closely surrounds them. Intermediate petals of white and green smooth this transition further.

The appearance of this clone is all the more unusual as the flowers are held virtually sideways, or upright, and thus the distinctive flower structure is all the more noticeable.

First found near Blewbury in Oxfordshire.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus Brenda Troyle

Well-proportioned white flowers of good poise and substance with a green mark to the inner segments. This is by far and away or largest and most vigorous snowdrop here even at its shortest, in full light, I have measured this at over 14" (37cm).

As well as making an attractive display reliably, this is grown for its strong and pervasive honey scent, which it emits when warm. On a still day it will scent the air for some distance around.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus Cedric's Prolific

(elwesii Cedric's Prolific)

A large, vigorous snowdrop which both flowers and increases well, hence the name. It makes 30-40cm tall stems bearing large, well-marked, rounded flowers above superbly decorative, very broad, blue-grey leaves which end in a notably pointed tip. The inner segments are marked with a long deep green "V" and just now and again, the outers (or some of the outers) have a faint green flush at the ends.

This soon clumps up and as it is also very vigorous and tall it is good for large areas, colonising and it looks well in a herbaceous planting, growing through dwarf perennials.

Originally from the garden of Sir Cedric Morris at Benton End this was selected by Beth Chatto and grown on by her for many years.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus Christmas Wish

(nivalis Christmas Wish)

This clone was originally received in 1984 by Michael Hoog, from one of our then near neighbours, the late Mrs Netta Statham at Erway Farm, Ellesmere, Shropshire.

It came under another name which proved not to be correct and so was subsequently named by Michael's son, Antoine, who coined the name ‘Christmas Wish’. It is one of the earliest flowering clones of nivalis affinity.

In the cold climate at Zwanenburg House in the Netherlands it was always in full flower around January 20th but in UK and French gardens it seems generally 2-3 weeks earlier. Often the first flowers open by Christmas, you hope this, hence Antoine's apposite name.

It is tall, usually 15-20cm in flower. There is a faint median grey stripe on the foliage perhaps suggesting a link with G. reginae-olgae in the bloodline, but we offer this as a suggestion only, it is in no way proven. The leaf edge is slightly thickened and one could equally suggest a plicatus connection. First offered in 2009.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus Colossus

(plicatus Colesbourne, Colesbourne Colossus).

Very appropriately named as this is one of the largest - a very tall and substantial clone which grows well and builds its large bulbs quickly, both in size and in number.

The plicate foliage is long and broad and can reach 30cm long by 4cm wide at maturity (after flowering is over) but at flowering it is perfectly in proportion to the huge flowers. These incidentally appear either very late in the old year or very early in the New Year and this is one of the earliest of the plicatus clan to flower.

The outers are pure white, the inners have just a small green apical mark and the plant itself has the delightful trait of making a second scape and thus a second flower, slightly after the first, when it is happy and established.

Originally discovered by Carolyn Elwes at Colesbourne Park.

* The picture used here does not convey the size and large scale of the plant.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus Comet

(elwesii Comet)

One of the best and finest of the elwesii clones available today. Gorgeous wide, glaucous foliage is a perfect foil for robust stems which hold large, strong, perfectly shaped flowers on long pedicels. Despite being totally clonal, the green marks on the outer segments vary from plant to plant. The outer segments are long and from their appearance, like a comet’s tail, comes the name.

An exceptionally good addition to our range, that it is very hard to over-praise.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus Deer Slot

(elwesii Deer Slot)

The name derives from the appearance if the split green mark on the tip of the inner segments which looks like the footprint of a cloven deer hoof. Whilst desirable, not every flower displays this feature every year. This is a normal characteristic of this clone. In some years, or on some plants, the green marks fuse into one. The next year the same plant is "normal" with a cloven mark. We have even had some flowers, where separate and joined marks appear on different faces of the same bloom.

A magnificent elwesii clone with large, elegant flowers in which the outer segments are notably substantial giving the flower good substance. This is late-flowering and only opens its first flowers with us after the bulk of the other elwesii forms have reached their peak. Vanilla scented when warm.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus Desdemona

One of the larger and stronger Greatorex Doubles, this is also one of the very best for garden display.

The inner whorl is almost totally regular and it is a well-marked rosette with strong green markings on the outside of each inner segment, extending a good way up. In many plants, there is a deep notch on the three outermost segments and the two sides curl over each other. Visually this makes the green mark look contiguous.

The outer whorl is usually composed of three, broad petals with the very faintest of green tinges to the tips, visible only when you get closer to the flowers, but very characteristic.

Vegetatively the plant is a little unusual in that it may make three leaves, rather than the normal snowdrop two, this may account also for its vigour.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus Dionysus

(Sybil Roberta)

Galanthus Dionysus has a deep green inverted heart mark covering about 40% of the outside of the inner petals. The interiorhas a central green zone, composed of 5, fine green lines along each segment.

Towards the centre of the inner rosette the segments are smaller and the green spreads from edge to edge. There is no marking at the ovary end. The green marks merge into larger green blotches as the flowers age. There is thus significant difference between flowers at different stages of development.

Leaves grey-green and flat with a folded back margin. True stock of a lovely plant with a very 'full' appearance.

This gorgeous cultivar will, occasionally, will throw a single or semi-double flower. This is normal and natural for this plant and not a rogue. Larger plants can throw a full double and a single flower simultaneously from the same bulb, but on separate scapes!

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Galanthus Elfin

(syn Stargazer)

A tiny, but vigorous little snowdrop. The size alone marks it out as something special, as it is seldom more than about 7cm tall. However this is a charmer with much of the appearance of a miniaturised form of Scharlockii.

Like that plant this has a split spathe and in addition it has lovely, bold, green markings on the outside of the fang-like, outer three petals. It does also start opening its flowers before they are fully pendent, so it can face sideways initially - hence "stargazer". It is said to flower before the main flush of nivalis, though we have not been able to confirm this here where we find it later.

Originally found by Phil Cornish near Wroxhall, Warwickshire.

Due to CITES permit costs of approx. £60 per item imposed by the UK Government these are not available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.