Are you interested in house plants and want to add a beautiful little one to your personal space? Or add a dash of beauty to your garden? You can never go wrong with the Snowdrop, as it is a magnificent and majestic-looking flower that surely brings some glamour to any space.
Its sight is like a breath of fresh air: calming and exciting all at once.
It has white dainty flowers that droop down into a bell or snowdrop shape, as is its namesake, with luscious, thin, and long linear leaves. This flower exudes a sophisticated and fragile appearance that will melt your heart and bring a warm elegance to your space.
What are Snowdrops?
Snowdrops, also scientifically known as Galanthus, is from a small genus of approximately 20 species of bulbous perennial herbaceous plants and belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae.
Their planting season begins in January and lasts till late February and then blooming seasons typically start in colder late winters to early springs: from January to March. They originate from cooler climates and are native to Europe and parts of the Middle East.
They are one of the first flowers of spring to sprout and therefore symbolize new beginnings, hope, rebirth, overcoming hurdles, and challenges, a beautiful meaning behind a beautiful flower!
They make for the perfect plants for beginner gardeners as they are amongst the easiest plants to grow, but they are not compensating for anything, because they are also amongst the most beautiful eye-catching delicate flowers. Truly a sight to behold!
Not only are they a beautiful sight for sore eyes, but the scent these little guys give off is also absolutely amazing. It’s reminiscent of the delicate sweet smell of light honey and milky almonds, which in our books, is always an added benefit.
RELATED: Snowdrop Flower Meaning
Common Types of Snowdrop Flowers
Galanthus Nivalis
One of the most popular types of flower, it has the typical bell snowdrop shape with big drooping white milky petals. It blooms in February and performs best in colder conditions, perfect for shady areas in your gardens and indoor controlled conditions.
Galanthus Elwesii
The second one in the most popular snowdrop lineup is also called the Giant Snowdrop for its larger bell-shaped petals. This one bloom from February up to March and the leaves go from white to yellow as they age. This is a very suitable species for lawns and gardens as they are very low maintenance.
Galanthus Plicatus
The third in the infamous snowdrop lineup is also referred to as the Pleated Snowdrop flower for its folded patterned leaves. This type is a sunlight-loving flower and prefers a cool sunny area, but not too much direct sunlight that can damage the flower’s petals and leaves.
Galanthus Caucasicus
This little guy is completely self-sufficient, as it is a self-cleaning plant and can be left to its own, so it requires the least amount of work. It has adorable little pea pod-shaped petals and the classic drooping appearance and its blooming seasons last from February to March.
Galanthus Bursanus
This is a relatively new strand of the species found in 2019 in Turkey and grows best in clay-type soils. This is a wild type of flower so it’s mostly grown outdoors, and has the beautiful classic snowdrop look.
Ideal Growing Conditions for Snowdrops
Here we have listed down some of the best most optimum conditions you should crosscheck with your setup to provide the best care for your snowdrop plants.
Light
Snowdrops best prefer a cool shady area with partial sunshine. They do need light to propagate and stay healthy but be careful that the sunlight they are receiving is not too bright and hot. They are typically late winter to early spring flowers so they prefer conditions that mimic those seasons. Too much direct sunlight dries them out and damages the leaves.
Watering
Once the plant has been planted, you can pretty much leave them alone to do its own thing. They require close to no maintenance and thrive perfectly well with no fuss, but of course, water is important.
They prefer moist conditions so make sure you water the plant regularly and do not let the soil dry out. Otherwise, it can be severely detrimental to your plant’s health. During the first four weeks, they need to be watered once every week, whereas afterward, you can be quite sparse with it.
Temperature
As they are late winter to early spring flowers, they prefer temperatures on the cooler side of the scale: ideal temperatures range from 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember that a climate that is too hot can lead to the plant drying and shriveling.
Fertilizer and Soil Type
As mentioned above, these are no-fuss plants, as they don’t require any fancy fertilizers or soils to help them stay healthy, just as long as it is alkaline, moist, and well-drained.
Although, the optimum recommended soil and fertilizer for your plant is having well-drained organic soil with a general potassium-rich fertilizer. They also thrive in clay or chalky soil types.
Additional Care Tips and What to Look Out For
Nutrient Deficiencies
They are not common in these types of plants, as they are typically quite low maintenance, but in the event, you notice symptoms of nutrient deficiencies, which may include dull or withering flower buds, and pale yellow or white leaves, the solution is quite simple.
Just spray the soil with a water-down solution of a general fertilizer a couple of times a week till you see improvement.
Invasive Pests
Common pests that attack snowdrops include:
- Narcissus Fly
- Swift Moths
- Mice
These pests feed or lay their larvae into the flowering buds and eventually completely destroy them.
The flowers themselves contain toxins to fend themselves off from grazing animals and infestation of pests, but in the case that you are still seeing the infestation growing, here are a couple of things you could do to aid your flower in fending itself.
Firstly, carefully wash the plant with hot water. This will wash away most of the infestation. You can also spray it down with a diluted general insecticide a few times a month and that should take care of any remaining larvae.
Last Pointers
When first establishing your plant, make sure you handle the roots with care and place the plant into well-drained moist soil with an alkaline pH, and preferably a shady sun exposure. The first few weeks require the most attention and care, so make sure to regularly check on how your plant is holding up and water it a few times throughout the first four weeks.
The last thing to consider is that the buds of the snowdrop contain toxins that help them fend off infestations but this also means they are harmful to humans and can cause stomach issues including vomiting and diarrhea, so make sure to keep the plant out of reach of children and pets.
Conclusion
We hope you found this article helpful and feel a little more confident about owning the beautiful Snowdrop plant. We assure you you won’t regret your decision once you see it in bloom, as it’s truly a sight worth beholding.
The flower just expels this elegant, angelic, and feminine aura that’s just so hard to ignore. It is one to have in your garden – we are sure you will receive a ton of compliments for the beautiful flower.
If you have any further questions, please do feel free to drop them in the comments section below, and we will try our best to respond swiftly.
