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Amaryllidaceae
Snowdrop
Galanthus nivalis
Hope, purity, consolation, the end of winter.
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Genus
- Galanthus
- Native to
- Europe, Middle East
- Bloom season
- Late Winter, Early Spring
- Type
- bulbous perennial
- Height
- 10–15 cm
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Soil
- Moist, humus-rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 3–7
- Lifespan
- Perennial
Did you know
- Snowdrops can generate their own heat to push up through frozen ground — their leaves have hardened tips that pierce snow.
- Galantamine, a compound extracted from snowdrops, is used to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
- 'Galanthophiles' (snowdrop collectors) pay extraordinary prices for rare cultivars — single bulbs of 'Golden Tears' sold for over £1,800 in 2022.
- There are around 20 species and over 2,500 named cultivars of snowdrop.
- Snowdrops are protected in many parts of Europe; collecting wild bulbs is illegal in much of their range.