Galanthiis

GALANTHIIS (gah-lan’-thus). A genus of small hardy bulbous plants of the Amaryllis Family that bear drooping bell-shaped white flowers on stalks 1 ft., more or less, tall, above a few basal leaves. Their chief value is their extreme earliness, for they bloom before any other bulbous subject, often before the snow disappears. This and the little blossoms both suggest the common name, Snowdrop.

The bulbs should be planted 3 or 4 in. deep in early fall in their permanent location, for they much resent disturbance. They naturalize readily in semi-shaded locations, in meadows or on grassy slopes and, left alone, will bloom profusely from year to year without further attention. The common snowdrop is Galanthiis nivalis, but Galanthiis elwesi is much larger, and there is also a double form. All three have white flowers with greenish stripes on the petals. They are perfectly hardy and can be planted outdoors without protection.

Snowdrops are susceptible to gray mold (Botrytis blight), so don’t plant any bulbs harboring the minute, hard, black resting bodies (sclerotia). But if these are solely on the outer scales, the latter can be removed and the naked bulb saved for planting.

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